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CANADA 

DEPARTMENT  OF  MINES 

Hon.  p.  E.  Blondin,  Minister;  R.  G.  McConnell,  Deputy  Minister. 


GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


I   MEMOIR  86  I 

No.  12,  Anthropological  Series 

Iroquis  Foods  and  Food 
Preparation 


BY 

F.  W.  Waugh 


OTTAWA 
Government  Printing  Bureau 

1916  No.  1612 


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^£«^ 


w 


^CA^ 


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CONTENTS. 

Pagb 

Introduction , j 

Phonetic  key 2 

Agricultural  methods  and  customs , 3 

The  Iroquois  as  horticulturists > ; 3 

Corn  culture  in  eastern  North  America S 

Communal  customs , 6 

Making  the  clearing 7 

Division  of  labour 8 

Co-operative  customs 10 

"All  the  females" 12 

Implements  employed 14 

Early  descriptions  of  corn  culture 16 

Corn  "medicines" 18 

Planting  of  the  corn 20 

Thanksgiving  after  planting 22 

Cultivation  ceremonials 22 

Rain-making 23 

Other  planting  time  customs  and  beliefs ; . . .  29 

Weather-lore 29 

Iroquois  calendars 32 

Protection  of  crops 36 

End  of  season  ceremony 38 

Harvesting  and  storage 39 

Abnormal  ears 44 

Cookery  and  eating  customs 46 

Eating  customs 46 

Household  conveniences 48 

General  characteristics 49 

Methods  of  fire-making SO 

The  gathering  of  wood S3 

Utensils  used  in  the  gathering,  preparation,  and  eating  of  food S4 

Cookery  methods  and  utensils 54 

Mortars  and  pestles 58 

The  pack  basket 61 

Hulling  or  washing  basket 61 

The  sifting  basket 63 

Bread  bowls  (bark  and  wood) 64 

Dishes  used  in  eating 66 

Spoons  or  ladles ..;.;;....  67 

Forks  or  eating-sticks ; ^ .  69 

The  paddle 70 

The  knife 71 


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ii 

Page 

Food  materials  and  recipes 71 

Corn  as  a  food  plant '  1 

Iroquois  corn  varieties '2 

Onondaga  names  for  corn  varieties,  by  Chief  Gibson 75 

Seneca  names  for  corn  varieties,  by  Alex.  Snider,  Tonawanda, 

N.Y 77 

Caughnawaga  (Mohawk)  names  for  corn  varieties,  by  Mr.  Stacey  77 

Cayuga  names  for  corn  varieties,  by  Wm.  Harris 77 

Other  terms  used  in  corn  culture 77 

Other  seeds  and  grains 78 

Corn  recipes 79 

Boiled  corn  bread 80 

Baked  corn  bread 82 

Other  terms  used 84 

Soup  from  corn  bread  liquor 84 

Early  bread 85 

Dumplings '.  -. ; 85 

Wedding  bread 85 

Corn  and  pumpkin  bread 87 

Corn  and  pumpkin  pudding 88 

Parched  corn  travelling  food , 88 

Hulled  corn  soup 90 

Corn  soup  with  nut  meats 90 

Corn  soup  with  sunflower  seeds 90 

Hominy 91 

Coarse  hominy 93 

Dried  pumpkin  hominy > 93 

Early  hominy 93 

Early  corn  pudding 94 

Popcorn  mush  or  pudding 94 

Popcorn  soup  or  hominy 94 

Green  corn  on  the  cob 95 

Succotash 95 

Parched  green  corn  soup 96 

Green  corn  soup 97 

Green  corn  baked 97 

Dried  corn  soup 98 

Roasted  corn  in  the  ear 98 

Green  corn  leaf  bread 99 

Obsolete  corn  foods 100 

Ceremonial  corn  foods 101 

Bear's  pudding 101 

Buffalo  dance  pudding 102 

Ball  players'  pudding 102 

False-face  pudding 103 


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Page 

Beans  and  bean  foods 103 

Green  beans  in  the  pod 108 

Green  beans  shelled 108 

Fried  beans 108 

Beans  with  corn 108 

Soup  of  dried  beans 108 

Beans  and  squash 109 

Green  beans  with  meat 109 

Sweet  soup '. 109 

Mashed  beans 109 

Beans  mixed  with  bread 109 

Bean  soup 110 

Cucurbitaceae  or  vine  foods Ill 

Boiled  squash 114 

Squash  baked  in  ashes 114 

Mashed  squash 114 

Squash  used  in  bread-making 114 

Dried  squash 114 

Pumpkin  sauce 115 

Pumpkin  with  beans 115 

Preserved  cucumbers 115 

Fried  squash 115 

Dried  pumpkin  sauce 116 

Baked  pumpkin 116 

Cornmeal  and  pumpkin 116 

Historical  foods 116 

Leaf,  stem,  and  bark  foods 117 

Root  foods 119 

General  botanical  terms 121 

Edible  fungi 121 

Fried  mushroom 122 

Mushroom  soup 122 

Nuts  as  food 122 

Nuts  used  in  bread-making 123 

Nut-meat  gravy 124 

Nut-meat  with  potatoes 124 

Nut-meats  in  hominy  and  corn  soup 124 

Fruits  used  as  foods 125 

Principal  varieties 127 

General  folk-lore  items 130 

Animal  foods .' 130 

Kinds  prohibited  or  avoided 131 

Other  ceremonial  usages 133 

Mammals 134 

Birds 135 

Batrachians  and  reptiles 135 


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IV 

Page 

Fish 136 

Boiled  fish 137 

Fish  soup ■ 137 

Fish  and  potato  soup 137 

Fried  fish 137 

Roasted  fish 137 

Dried  fish -. 137 

Crustacea 138 

Insect  foods. 138 

Historical  mention 139 

Mollusca 139 

Saccharine  foods 140 

Maple  syrup  and  sugar 140 

Honey 143 

Beverages 144 

Salt  as  a  food  material ISO 

Bibliography ISS 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page 
Plate  I.     (a)  Digging  stick;   (b)  corn    washing    basket;      (c) 

planting  basket 159 

n.     Longhouse,  Oneidatown,  Ontario 161 

ni.     A.  Onondaga  lortghouse,  Grand  River  reserve,  Ontario  163 
B.  Lower  Cayuga  longhouse,  Grand    River  reserve, 

Ontario 163 

IV.     Model  of  ancient  Iroquois  house  of  elm  bark 165 

V.     Husking  and  braiding  corn 167 

VI.     (a)  Husking  pin  of  bear  bone;    (b)  husking  pin  used 
by   whites;     (c)  deer's   jaw    scraper   for   green 

corn , 169 

VII.     Corn  crib,  Grand  River  reserve,  Ontario 171 

VIII.     Corn  crib.  Grand  River  reserve,  Ontario 173 

IX.     Corn  crib  of  poles,  Oneidatown,  Ontario 175 

X.     A.  Winter  caches  for  vegetables.  Grand  River  reserve, 

Ontario 177 

B.  Method  of  tapping  trees.  Grand  River  reserve^ 

Ontario 177 

XI.     Log  house,  Grand  River  reserve,  Ontario 179 

XII.     Bow  drill  for  fire-making,  Tonawanda,  N.Y 181 

XIII.     Pump   drill   for   fire-making,   Grand   River  reserve, 

Ontario 183 


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V 

Page 
Plate        XIV.     (a)  Heavy  pack  basket  for  wood ;    (b)  pack  basket 
of  hickory  bark;,  (c)   stones  used  in  cracking  corn 
or  nuts;    (d)    muller  and  mealing-slab,  as  used 

until  recently  for  grinding  corn 185 

XV.     Mrs.   John  Williams,   Caughnawaga,   using  mealing 

stones 187 

XVI.     Shelling  corn  for  bread-making,  Grand  River  reserve, 

Ontario 189 

XVII.     Washing  corn  to  remove  the  hulls 191 

XVIII.     Grinding  corn  with  mortar  and  pestles 193 

XIX.     Sifting  the  meal 195 

XX.     Pack  basket  and  tump-line 197 

XXI.     Pack  basket  used  at  Oneidatown,  Ontario 199 

XXII.     (a,  b,  c,  d)   Corn  washing  baskets;    (e)  basket  for 

gathering  corn 201 

XXIII.  Basket  sieves,  various  types 203 

XXIV.  (a,  b,  d)  Sap  troughs  of  bark;  (c)  elm  bark  bread  tray  205 
XXV.     Wooden  bowls 207 

XXVI.     Spoons  or  ladles 209 

XXVII.     Spoons  or  ladles 211 

XXVIII.     Spoons  or  ladles 213 

XXIX.     Bread  and  stirring  paddles 215 

XXX.     Bread  paddles 217 

XXXI.     (a,  b,  c)  Knives  of  bark  and  other  materials;  (d,  e) 

corn-husk  utensils  for  salt 219 

XXXII.     Some  Iroquois  corn  varieties  (in  colour) 221 

XXXIII.  (a)  Green    corn    leaf -package ;     (b,    c)     leaf-bread 

packages 223 

XXXIV.  Iroquois  bean  varieties  (in  colour) 225 

XXXV.     (a,  b)  Evaporating  baskets;    (c,  d,  e)   berry-picking 

baskets;   (f)  pack  basket  for  berries 227 

XXXVI.     Pack  frame  for  game  or  provisions 229 

XXXVII.     Elm  bark  toboggan 231 

XXXVIII.     Fishing  with  wooden  spear 233 

XXXIX.     Fish-trap  and  dam 235 

Figure  1.     Eating-stick  or  fork 85 

2.    Berry-picking  basket  of  elm  bark 126 


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Iroquois  Foods  and  Food  Preparation. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Iroquois  foods  and  the  customs  connected  therewith  have 
been  the  subjects  from  time  to  time  of  ethnological  investiga- 
tion. In  most  instances,  however,  such  investigations  have 
been  concerned  with  special  phases  or  divisions  of  the  subject, 
so  that  a  comprehensive  treatment  of  the  subject  would  seem 
useful.  The  idea  of  the  author  has  been,  for  the  greater  part,  to 
deal  with  present-day  Iroquois  customs,  or  with  those  which 
have  been  practised  within  the  memory  of  the  older  people  now 
living  on  the  reservations,  making  such  references  to  the  litera- 
ture and  archaeology  of  the  subject  as  may  be  required  to  form  a 
connected  account. 

Among  the  more  recent  papers  or  monographs  to  which 
the  writer  wishes  to  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  are  the  bulletin 
by  A.  C.  Parker  on  "Iroquois  uses  of  maize  and  other  food  plants" 
and  M.  R.  Harrington's  "Some  Seneca  corn  foods  and  their 
preparation."  Of  these,  the  bulletin  by  Parker  is  somewhat 
the  more  comprehensive.  Both  are  interesting  and  cover  the 
field  more  or  less  thoroughly,  with  perhaps  special  reference  to 
the  New  York  State  Iroquois. 

In  extenuation  of  having  gone  over  some  of  the  ground 
already  covered  by  previous  workers  the  author  wishes  to  state 
that  this  was  necessitated  in  the  making  of  more  extensive  and 
intensive  inquiries  into  practically  all  divisions  of  the  subject, 
as  well  as  in  the  fixing  of  a  starting-point  for  a  number  of  ad- 
ditional topics.  There  is  also  to  be  considered  the  value  of 
corroborative  evidence  as  to  distribution  and  other  facts  con- 
nected with  the  customs  involved. 

The  subject  matter  as  a  whole  is  the  result  of  personal  investi- 
gations conducted  by  the  writer  during  the  years  1912-1915  among 
the  Iroquois  of  Ontario,  Quebec,  and  New  York  state,  covering 
a  total  of  about  twelve  months'  research,  and  will  form  one  of  a 


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series  in  which  as  thorough  a  review  as  possible  will  be  made  of 
Iroquois  material  culture  generally. 

Among  the  principal  informants  interviewed  were:  Chief 
John  Gibson  (Sen.)  and  wife  (Ca.),  Chief  David  Skye  (On.), 
Chief  David  Key  (Sen.),  John  Echo  (On.),  Peter  John  (On.) 
and  wife  (Mo.),  Thomas  Key  (On.),  John  Jamieson,  jun.  (Ca.), 
Chief  David  Jack  (Ca.),  Jake  Hess  (Ca.),  Levi  John,  Simon 
Bumberry,  Seth  Newhouse,  and  P.  J.  Atkins  (Mo.),  Jim  Daluki 
(a  negro  living  among  the  lower  Cayuga,  and  formerly  with 
the  Oneida),  of  the  Grand  River  reservation.  Brant  county, 
Ontario;  Mrs.  John  Williams,  Paul  Jacobs,  and  Mr.  Stacey, 
Caughnawaga,  Quebec;  Barber  Black,  Alexander  Snider, 
and  Peter  Sundown,  Seneca  reservation,  Tonawanda,  N.Y.; 
Baptist  Thomas,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jairus  Pierce,  Onondaga  Castle, 
N.Y.;  Mrs.  David  Williams,  Anthony  Day,  Henry  Danford, 
Jacob  Schuyler,  Noah  Homer,  and  others,  Oneidatown,  Ontario. 

The  linguistic  data  given  have  been  decided  very  largely 
by  the  dialect  spoken  by  informants.  A  more  detailed  analysis 
of  terms,  in  some  instances,  while  desirable,  has  of  necessity  been 
left  for  more  specialized  workers  in  linguistics. 

PHONETIC  KEY. 
Vowels: 

a,  as  in  hat. 

d,  a  sound  intermediate  between  the  preceding  and  the  next. 
a,  as  in  father. 

a,  as  in  but. 

e,  as  in  they. 

e,  as  in  then. 

i,  as  in  French  pique. 
I,  as  in  pick. 
0,  as  in  note. 

0,  slightly  shorter  than  preceding;  lips  somewhat  farther  apart. 
ti),  as  in  law. 
u,  as  in  rule. 
u,  as  in  pull. 
ai,  as  in  aisle. 
au,  like  ou  in  out. 

Superior  vowel,  indicates  slightly  pronounced  vowel. 
Consonants: 

d,  sonant  or  intermediate  dental  stop. 

f ,  as  in  touch. 


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i,  sonant  or  intermediate  palatal  stop.  i 

k,  as  in  kick. 

dj,  asj  in  judge. 

tc,  as  ch  in  church. 

s,  as  in  sauce. 

c,  like  sh  in  shall. 

z,  as  in  zones. 

w,  as  in  wish. 

y,  as  in  you. 

n,  as  in  nun. 

y,  palatalized  n  as  in  sing. 

/,  related  genetically  in  Oneida  to  Mohawk  r;    pronounced  as  in  lull. 

f,  found  in  Mohawk;  slightly  trilled. 

S  h,  aspirants. 

',  glottal  stop. 

Whispered  syllables  indicated  by  small  caps. 

Diacritical  Marks: 

',  nasalized  vowel. 

',  main  stress. 

*,  secondary  stress. 

.,  indicates  diaeresis  between  vowels. 

■,  inverted  period  following  indicates  a  long  vowel. 

",  semicircular  mark  following  indicates  a  short  vowel. 

Ahhriviations  used  are: 
Ca.,  Cayuga. 
Mo.,     Mohawk. 
On.,  Onondaga. 
Oneida. 
Sen.,  Seneca. 

AGRICULTURAL  METHODS  AND  CUSTOMS. 

THE  IROQUOIS   AS  HORTICULTURISTS. 

One  of  the  outstanding  features  of  Iroquois  material  culture 
was  their  aptitude  for  agriculture.  This  was  at  first  concerned 
largely  with  the  cultivation  of  corn,  beans,  and  squashes.  The 
importance  attached  to  these  may  be  noted  from  the  fact 
that  they  were  called  the  Three  Sisters,  a^s?  na'degQd^'ng'daa' 
(On.)  and  were  included  among  those  beings  to  whom  religious 
ceremonials  were  addressed. 


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A  few  other  products,  such  as  sunflowers  and  artichokes, 
were  cultivated  sparingly,  also  a  native  tobacco,  the  Nicotiana 
rustica,  which  was  used  for  smoking  and  for  ceremonial  purposes. 
All  of  the  products  enumerated,  with  the  exception  of  the  last, 
were  welcomed  as  additions  to  agriculture,  while  the  various 
grains,  vegetables,  and  fruits  known  to  the  Europeans  were,  in 
their  turn,  quickly  taken  up  by  the  Iroquois. 

The  large  fields  and  clearings  of  the  latter  were  the  admira- 
tion of  early  writers  and  explorers  and  they  are  everj^where 
admitted  to  have  been  the  leaders  in  agriculture  within  the  more 
northerly  and  easterly  portion  of  their  habitat,  and  to  have 
contributed  not  a  little  to  its  extension  among  those  of  their 
Algonkin  neighbours  whose  country  was  suitable  for  the  purpose. 

The  evident  antiquity  of  corn  culture  among  the  Iroquois 
and  their  position  as  carriers  and  introducers  of  agriculture 
among  the  various  tribes  to  the  north  and  northeast  seem  to  be 
indicative  of  southern  or  southwestern  relationships  and  are 
inconsistent  with  the  theory  of  an  original  Iroquoian  migration 
from  another  direction. 

So  important,  in  fact,  were  Iroquois  agricultural  activities 
that,  atalater  date,  whenitwas  desired  to  punish  them  effectively, 
this  was  done  by  annihilating  their  granaries  and  cornfields. 

Among  the  more  important  expeditions  of  this  kind  was  that 
of  Denonville,  who,  in  1687,  destroyed  an  immense  amount  of 
corn,  including  the  standing  crops  of  four  villages,  a  work  of 
destruction  which  is  said  to  have  taken  seven  days  to  accomplish. 
In  1696  Frontenac,  who  invaded  the  Onondaga  country,  spent 
three  days  destroying  growing  corn,  which  extended  from  a 
league  and  a  half  to  two  leagues  from  the  fort.  The  expedi- 
tion of  General  Sullivan,  in  1779,  furnishes  many  interesting 
items."^  It  is  stated  that,  at  Chemung,  an  Indian  village  of 
forty  houses  on  the  Tioga,  a  cornfield  of  sixty  acres  was  des- 
troyed. Around  the  great  village  of  "Chinesee  Castle"  there 
were  cornfields  of  "not  less  than  two  hundred  acres,  the  whole 
of  which  was  pulled  up  and  piled  in  large  heaps  .  .  and  con- 
sumed to  ashes."     There  were  seventy  dwellings  at  this  point, 


'  Norton,  A.  T.,  History  of  Sullivan's  Campaign,  p.  95. 


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besides  a  similar  number  of  outhouses  or  granaries.  We  also 
find  it  reported  that  forty  Indian  villages,  beside  many  scatter- 
ing houses,  were  burned.  The  quantity  of  corn  destroyed  was 
said  to  have  amounted  to  160,000  bushels,  with  a  vast  amount 
of  vegetables  of  every  kind.  Among  the  European  importations 
noted  were  beets,  carrots,  onions,  peas,  turnips,  cabbages, 
parsnips,  and  many  others,  also  such  fruits  as  the  apple  and  the 
peach,  which  had  been  introduced  by  the  missionaries.  The 
houses  possessed  by  the  Indians  at  this  time  were  described 
as  being  compact  and  well-built. 

CORN  CULTURE  IN  EASTERN  NORTH  AMERICA. 

Corn  culture  was  evidently  subject  to  fluctuation.  Cham- 
plain,  for  instance,  found  that  some  of  the  eastern  Algonkins 
had  discontinued  it  owing  to  incursions  by  other  tribes.'  Agri- 
culture was  practised,  to  some  extent  at  least,  in  the  Maritime 
Provinces,  as  Verazzani  refers  to  the  savages  towards  "Penobscot 
Bay  and  Newfoundland"  as  "ruder  and  less  agricultural.'" 
The  Abenaki,  farther  south,  depended  largely  upon  corn.'  Along 
the  north  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  Iroquois  settlements  and 
cornfields  were  discovered  by  Car  tier  in  1534.  At  Champlain's 
visit,  some  seventy  or  more  years  later,  these  had  disappeared, 
the  region  being  occupied  by  Montagnais  and  other  non-agri- 
cultural tribes.  The  Etechemin,  or  Malecite,  were  also  non- 
agricultural,*  as  were  the  Algonkins  of  northern  Ontario  and  of 
Quebec  as  a  whole.  That  some  of  these  began  later  to  adopt 
agriculture  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  upon  one  of  Champlain's 
later  visits,  the  inhabitants  of  AUumette  island  were  found 
raising  a  little  Indian  corn,'  as  were  also  those  living  along 
French  river  and  Georgian  bay.  The  Nipissings  of  this 
region  were  said  to  cultivate  the  land  very  slightly.'    The  Saul- 


'  Champlain,  Voyages,  Prince  Soc.  ed.,  vol.  II,  p.  60. 
'  Hakluyt,  Voyages,  vol.  I,  pp.  70,  71. 
» Champlain,  Voyages,  Prince  Soc.  ed.,  vol.  Ill,  p.  296. 
«  Ibid.,  vol.  II,  p.  196. 

Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  IV,  p.  195. 
'  Champlain,   Voyages,  vol.  I,  p.  300. 
•  Ibid.,  vol.  Ill,  p.  114. 


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teurs  or  Sauteiirs,  living  near  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  were  non-cultir, 
vators.'  The  progress  of  the  Montagnais  is  shown  in  the  fact 
that,  in  1634,  they  were  raising  sufficient  quantities  of  "cereals 
and  Indian  corn"  to  trade  with  other  nations.^ 

The  Hurons,  who  are  related  racially  to  the  Iroquois, 
cultivated  corn  on  a  large  scale  and,  besides  supplying  their  own 
wants,  exchanged  it  for  furs  and  other  commodities  with  neigh- 
bouring peoples.  The  Huron  country,  in  fact,  was  said  to  be 
"the  granary  of  most  of  the  Algonkins."'  The  Petuns,  or 
Tionnontati  (also  Iroquois)  and  the  Cheveux  R61evdes,  or 
Ottawas,  were  both  found  by  Champlain  cultivating  corn  and 
tobacco.* 

All  the  nations  encountered  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan 
possessed  fields  of  corn,  squashes,  beans,  and  tobacco.*  Charle- 
voix remarks  that  "the  Outaouais,"  who  had  retired  to  an 
island  near  the  entrance  to  the  lake,  "sow  here  Maiz,  and  they 
have  learnt  this  good  custom  from  the  Hurons,  with  whom  they 
have  lived  a  long  time  in  these  parts."*  This  was  the  last  point 
at  which  such  provisions  could  be  obtained  in  journeying  to 
the  country  of  the  Crees,  Assiniboins,  Sioux,  and  others  to  the 
north  and  west.^ 

COMMUNAL   CUSTOMS. 

The  fields  were  evidently  grouped  more  or  less  closely  about 
the  villages,  and  varied  from  ten  or  twenty  to  several  hundred 
acres,  according  to  the  size  of  the  community.  Portions  of  these 
are  said  to  have  been  at  times  reserved  for  general  purposes, 
such  as  the  provision  of  food  for  councils  and  ceremonies. 

Sagard  remarks,  regarding  the  Hurons,  that  "their  custom 
is  that  each  household  lives  upon  what  it  obtains  from  fishing, 
hunting,  and  planting,  having  as  much  ground  as  may  be  necessary. 


'  Hennepin,  A  New  Discovery,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  I,  p.  117. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed. 

» Ibid.,  vol.  VIII,  p.  115. 

*  Champlain,  Voyages,  vol.  I,  p.  303. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  LIV,  p.  207. 

'  Charlevoix,  A  Voyage  to  North  America,  vol.  II,  p.  36. 

'  Henry,  Alex.,  Travels  and  Adventures  in  Canada  (1760-1776),  pp.  48,  49. 


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for  all  the  forests,  plains,  and  uncleared  ground  are  common  to  all, 
and  it  is  permitted  to  each  one  to  clear  and  sow  as  much  as  he 
wishes,  is  able  to,  or  requires;  and  the  ground  thus  cleared  re- 
mains each  person's  property  as  long  as  he  continues  to  cultivate 
and  to  use  it,  though  when  it  is  entirely  abandoned  by  its  pos- 
sessor, any  who  wishes  may  then  take  possession  of  it,  but  under  no 
other  circumstances."'  In  one  of  the  Relations  we  find  it  stated 
that  they  "possess  hardly  anything  except  in  common.  A 
whole  village  must  be  without  corn,  before  any  individual  can 
be  obliged  to  endure  privation.  "^  This  custom  apparently 
had  its  drawbacks  and  sometimes  proved  a  discouragement 
to  industry.' 

MAKING  THE    CLEARING. 

The  first  step  towards  organized  agriculture  was  naturally 
the  clearing  of  a  place  in  which  to  plant  the  corn  and  other 
products.  This  involved  the  removal  of  the  trees,  which  was 
accomplished  either  by  felling,  or  by  girdling  them,  usually  in  the 
spring,  burning  away  what  material  could  be  removed  in  this 
way  and  finally  uprooting  the  partly  burned  and  rotted  trunks. 

Large  tracts  of  land,  as  in  the  prairie  regions,  were  fre- 
quently burned  over  to  furnish  clearings  for  fields  and  villages. 
The  explorer  Galinie,  in  1669,  on  his  way  to  the  west  by  way  of 
the  Seneca  country,  found,  between  the  lake  and  the  largest 
village  to  the  east,  beautiful  broad  meadows,  on  which  the  grass 


'  Sagard,  Voyage,  pt.  I,  p.  91. 

2  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLIII,  p.  271. 

'  Loskiel,  History  of  Mission,  pt.  I,  p.  68:  "They  preserve  their  crops  in 
round  holes,  dug  in  the  earth  at  some  distance  from  their  houses,  lined  and 
covered  with  dry  leaves  or  grass.  They  commonly  keep  the  situation  of  these 
magazines  very  secret,  knowing  that  if  they  are  found  out,  they  must  supply 
the  wants  of  every  needy  neighbour  as  long  as  anything  is  left.  These  may 
occasion  a  famine,  for  some  are  so  lazy  that  they  will  not  plant  at  all,  knowing 
that  the  more  industrious  cannot  refuse  to  divide  their  store  with  them.  The 
industrious,  therefore,  not  being  able  to  enjoy  more  from  their  labour  than  the 
idle,  by  degrees  contract  their  plantations.  If  the  winter  happens  to  be  se- 
vere, and  the  snow  prevents  them  from  hunting,  a  general  famine  ensues,  by 
which  many  die.  They  are  then  driven  by  hunger  to  dress  and  eat  roots  of 
grass  or  the  inner  bark  of  trees,  especially  of  young  oaks." 


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grew  as  tall  as  himself.  In  the  spots  where  there  were  woods, 
were  oak  plains,  so  open  that  one  could  easily  ride  through  them 
on  horseback.  This  open  country,  he  was  informed,  continued 
eastward  more  than  a  hundred  leagues.  Westward  and  south- 
ward it  also  extended  a  great  distance.  "Treeless  meadows, 
more  than  a  hundred  leagues  in  length"  were  reported  from  the 
south,  where  great  quantities  of  corn  and  fruit  were  grown.' 
Trees  were  also  felled  to  furnish  material  for  dug-outs, 
household  utensils,  and  other  articles.  A  method  described  by 
David  Jack  was  to  tie  some  saplings  around  the  tree,  forming 
a  small,  scaffold-like  structure.  Sods  were  placed  on  this, 
water  was  poured  over  them,  and  a  fire  built  up  below.  By 
alternately  hacking  with  stone  axes  and  burning,  the  tree  was 
finally  cut  through.  If  it  was  desired  to  cut  it  into  lengths,  a 
double  pile  of  sods  was  made  around  the  trunk  where  it  was 
to  be  divided,  and  fire  applied  to  the  space  between.  Chief 
Gibson's  description  of  tree-felling  was  essentially  the  same, 
except  that,  according  to  him,  a  quantity  of  rags  was  tied  to  the 
end  of  a  pole  and  used  for  wetting  the  trunk  and  localizing  the 
action  of  the  fire.  Both  Lafitau^  and  Kalm'  give  similar  de- 
scriptions, indicating  the  method  to  have  been  one  in  common 
use. 

DIVISION   OF   LABOUR. 

"It  was  the  men  all  over  America,"  according  to  Lafitau, 
"who  picked  out  the  new  sites  for  the  villages  and  who  cut  down 
the  heavy  timbers,  as  the  women  were  incapable  of  doing  this 
successfully,  so  that  the  latter  had  only  the  labour  of  splitting 
or  breaking  it  up  and  carrying  it  away."^  Among  certain 
eastern  woodland  tribes  the  lot  of  the  women  was  evidently 
most  severe.  Jouvency,  who  refers  perhaps  more  particularly 
to  the  Algonkins,  states  that  "the  care  of  household  affairs  and 
whatever  work  there  may  be  in  the  family,  are  placed  upon  the 
women.     They  build  and  repair  wigwams,  carry  water  and  wood, 


1  Coyne,  Jas.  H.,  GaMnSe's  Narrative,  Ont.,  Hist.  Soc,  1903,  p.  25. 

2  Lafitau,  Moeurs  des  Sauvages  Ameriguatn,  pt.  II,  p.  110. 
'  Kalm,  Travels,  vol.  II,  p.  38. 

*  Lafitau,  Moeurs,  pt.  II,  p.  109. 


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prepare  the  food;  their  duties  and  positions  are  those  of  slaves, 
laborers  and  beasts  of  burden.  The  pursuits  of  hunting  and 
war  belong  to  the  men."  The  writer  continues  by  pointing 
out  that  under  such  conditions  it  was  impossible  to  bring  forth 
fully-developed  children,  or  to  nourish  them  properly  after 
they  were  born.  Abortions  were  frequent  and  infant  mortality 
such  that  hardly  one  in  thirty  survived.^  Adair  writes  of  the 
Muskhogean  tribes,  close  neighbours  of  the  Cherokee  and 
Tuscarora,  that  "the  women  are  the  chief,  if  not  the  only  manu- 
facturers; the  men  judge  that  if  they  perform  that  office,  it 
would  exceedingly  depreciate  them." 

Carr  refers  to  the  Iroquois  as  the  only  people  among  whom 
"it  cannot  be  shown  that  the  warriors  did  take  some  part  either 
in  clearing  the  ground  or  in  cultivating  the  crop ;  and  we  find  that 
even  among  them  the  work  was  not  left  exclusively  to  the  women, 
but  that  it  was  shared  by  the  children  and  the  old  men,  as  well 
as  the  slaves,  of  whom  they  seem  to  have  had  a  goodly  number." 
He  also  mentions  the  almost  constant  occupation  of  the  men 
in  hunting  and  fighting.  He  elsewhere  remarks  of  the  Indians 
of  this  area  in  general  that  "whilst,  as  a  fact,  the  women,  children, 
old  men,  and  slaves  always  cultivated  the  fields,  yet  th8  war- 
riors cleared  the  ground  and,  when  not  engaged  in  war  or  hunt- 
ing, aided  in  working  and  harvesting  the  crop,  though  the 
amount  of  such  assistance  varied,  being  greater  among  the 
tribes  south  of  the  Ohio,  and  less  among  the  Iroquois  or  Six 
Nations."'' 

Frequent  mention  is  made  in  the  Relations  of  the  employ- 
ment by  the  Iroquois  of  women  to  carry  burdens  upon  their 
various  expeditions.' 

Mary  Jemison,  a  white  woman  who  lived  among  the  Iro- 
quois, after  describing  the  duties  which  fell  to  the  women, 
remarks  that  "their  task  is  probably  not  harder  than  that  of 


'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  I,  p.  257. 
•  Carr,  Mounds  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  Smithsonian  Report,   1891, 
p.   533. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLIV,  p.  31. 


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white  women"  and  "their  cares  certainly  are  not  half  so  numer- 
ous, nor  as  great."' 

Sagard  notes  briefly  of  the  Hurons,  a  related  tribe,  that 
"the  women  are  more  industrious  than  the  men,  though  not 
forced  to  labour."'' 

Both  hunting  and  warfare  were  arduous,  and  from  the 
formation  of  the  confederacy,  at  least,  down  to  comparatively 
recent  times,  the  maintenance  of  their  national  existence  allowed 
of  few  other  occupations.  With  the  removal  of  the  necessity 
for  war,  the  men  began  to  assist  more  and  more.  At  Onondaga 
Castle,  however,  some  sixty  or  more  years  ago,  it  was  still  con- 
sidered beneath  a  man  to  engage  in  farm  work,'  although  a 
Brant  County  Onondaga  states  that  corn-planting  was  not 
considered  especially  a  woman's  job  in  this  locality.* 

A  growing  idea  of  specialization  in  men's  employments  is 
recognizable.  A  man,  for  instance,  who  through  physical 
inability  was  an  indifferent  hunter,  might  employ  himself  in 
the  making  of  such  articles  as  bows  and  arrows,  wooden  uten- 
sils, or  in  silversmithing  and  other  handicrafts.  The  idea  that 
these  occupations  were  derogatory  seems  to  have  gradually 
disappeared.' 

CO-OPERATIVE   CUSTOMS. 

The  custom  of  mutual  assistance  is  a  very  common  one  at 
present,  though  the  prevailing  idea  seems  to  be  sociability,  or 
the  principle  that  "many  hands  make  light  labour."  "Bees" 
are  frequent  both  in  planting  and  harvesting,  the  women  fig- 
uring prominently. 

There  is  also  an  organized  society  for  mutual  aid  for  those 
requiring  it  through  age  or  sickness.  This  belongs  essentially 
to  the  more  conservative  element,  and  is  noted  by  A.  C.  Parker 
under  the  Seneca  name  of  Gai'wiu  Qdannide'osha,  "In  the  good 


'  Caswell,  H.  S.,  Our  Life  Among  the  Iroquois,  pp.  238,  239. 
Seaver,  Life  of  Mary  Jemison,  p.  43. 

*  Sagard,  Voyages,  pt.  I,  pp.  90,  91. 
'  Information  by  John  Echo. 

*  Information  by  Jairus  Pierce. 
»  Williams,  Roger,  Key,  p.  128. 

Brickell,  Nat.  Hist,  of  N.  Carolina,  p.  364. 


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rule  they  assist  one  another."  A  woman  is  chosen  leader  of 
the  Seneca  society.^  Chief  Gibson's  version  of  the  custom  was 
to  the  effect  that  those  who  wished  assistance  should  notify 
the  leader.  The  Onondaga  name  of  the  society  is  Adanid^a" 
saa'  (charity  society).  Help  may  in  this  manner  be  furnished 
throughout  the  season.  The  members  of  the  society  are  next 
notified.  The  membership  may  consist  of  both  old  and  young, 
and  each  must  take  his  own  hoe  or  other  implement  along. 
A  man  and  woman  are  appointed  leaders.  When  the  members 
arrive  they  start  to  work.  The  person  inviting  them  must 
furnish  corn  soup.  When  they  get  through,  they  go  into  the 
house.  The  leader  on  the  male  side  makes  a  speech  congratulat- 
ing the  others  for  their  kindness  in  assisting,  and  informs  them 
that  soup  has  been  prepared. 

Any  one,  whether  rich  or  poor,  may  invite  the  society  and 
"bees"  may  be  called  for  husking  and  braiding,  as  well  as  for 
hoeing  and  planting.  The  Onondaga  term  for  a  husking  bee 
is  hadinu  yg  d^,  or  gahwe"noni"  hadinoyo'  nda'nt'. 

These  customs  of  co-operation  for  social  or  charitable  pur- 
poses were  evidently  quite  widely  adopted  and  practised.  Roger 
Williams  found  the  New  England  Algonkins,  men  and  women, 
to  the  number  of  forty,  fifty,  or  a  hundred,  joining  to  cultivate 
their  fields  and  to  build  their  forts.  Seaver's  "Life  of  Mary 
Jemison"  mentions  that  the  Iroquois  women  of  the  locality 
joined  forces  not  only  to  expedite  their  work,  but  to  enjoy  each 
other's  company.  One  of  the  older  women  was  chosen  as  over- 
seer, which  was  looked  upon  as  an  honour.  When  the  time 
for  planting  had  arrived,  the  women  assembled  in  the  morning 
and  each  one  planted  a  row.  When  this  was  completed,  she 
went  to  another  field  and  planted  a  row,  and  so  on  until  all  the 
fields  had  been  visited,  when  she  would  begin  again  in  the  first 
field.^  Lxjcal  customs  of  this  description  varied  slightly  from 
village  to  village,  or  among  the  various  nations  of  the  Iroquois, 
but  the  underlying  principle  was  the  same.  A  Brant  County 
informant'  states  that  some  forty-five  or  fifty  years  ago  he  fre- 

^  Parker,  A.  C,  Iroquois  Uses  of  Maize  and  other  Pood  Plants,  p.  30. 
'  Seaver,  Life  of  Mary  Jemison,  pp.  168,  169.  Cf.  also  Adair,  p.  407. 
'  Peter  John,  Onondaga. 


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quently  attended  bees,  taking  his  own  hoe,  spoon,  and  pail,  the 
latter  for  receiving  his  share  of  corn  soup,  which  was  prepared 
in  the  field  over  an  open  fire.  When  no  corn  was  available  they 
made  doughnuts  of  wheat  flour  and  fried  these  in  grease  in  a 
frying-pan.  The  name  applied  was  gaha«gwagenda'wc",  or 
"cake  in  the  grease  fried."  Each  worker  was  entitled  to  a 
cake  for  each  row  hoed  or  planted.  When  one  person's  corn- 
patch  was  finished  they  would  go  on  to  the  next.  When  corn 
bread  was  to  be  baked  in  the  ashes,  or  other  cookery  of  the 
sort  performed,  the  ashes  and  cinders  were  carried  from  one 
place  to  another,  so  as  to  provide  a  suitable  bed  for  the  purpose. 

THE  OTQ^wi^zas  (on.,  all  the  females). 

This  society,  which  is  evidently  of  considerable  importance 
in  planting-time  ceremonies,  is  described  by  A.  C.  Parker  under 
the  Seneca  name  of  Towii'sas  or  Sisters  of  the  Dio'he"'ko.  These 
are  described  as  using  the  "land- tortoise"  shell  rattle,  and 
giving  thanks  to  the  spirits  of  the  corn,  beans,  and  squashes 
(Dio'he"'ko  meaning  "these  sustain  our  lives"). ^ 

Baptist  Thomas,  ex-chief,  Onondaga  Castle,  stated  that 
the  purpose  of  the  society  there  is  "to  help  when  a  person  feels 
sick."  Any  kind  of  rattle  is  used  at  this  place.  The  local 
name  given  to  the  society  is  Ggtgwi'zas. 

Chief  Gibson,  who  was  well-known  as  an  exponent  of  the 
Handsome  Lake  doctrine,  gives  the  following  description  of 
the  society  as  found  in  his  locality  (the  names  are  in  Onondaga) : 
A  meeting  of  the  OtQ',"wi"zas,  or  woman's  society,  is  held  in  the 
spring,  about  a  week  before  planting.  The  whole  community  is 
called  or  notified.  A  speaker  is  next  appointed,  and  when  the 
people  have  assembled  in  the  longhouse  (Plates  II  and  III), 
he  makes  a  speech  to  the  effect  that  a  good  number  of  people 
still  have  the  privilege  to  plant  again.  He  gives  thanks  to  the 
corn,  makes  an  offering  of  oy^^gwag'wi',  or  native  tobacco, 
and  continues  at  some  length  to  thank  all  green  things,  or 
whatever  grows  on  earth  in  spring.  Tobacco  is  used  to  "speak 
direct   to   the   Great   Mother    (Eti*nuha''s'ii')."     The   speaker 


'  Parker,  A.  C,  New  York  State  Museum  Bulletin,  144,  p.  27. 


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may,  according  to  Chief  Gibson,  conclude  as  follows:    "Thank 
to  our  Father  who  art  in  heaven.     We  still  have  the  duty  an 
privilege  of  planting  corn,  beans,  squashes,  and  other  vegetable 
We  ask  you,  our  Father,  to  supply  us  this  season  with  food,  to 
send  the  game  birds  and  animals,  as  usual.     We  thank  you 
to-day  as  we  have  the  privilege  of  performing  our  ceremony." 

Two  singers  are  now  selected  for  the  Feather  Dance,  in 
which  all  take  part,  and  in  this  way  give  thanks  to  the  four  angels 
and  the  Great  Spirit.  When  through  with  the  dance,  the  next 
feature  is  the  game  of  bowl,  the  women  on  one  side  and  the  men 
on  the  other.  The  articles  wagered  are  all  some  Jcind  of  seeds, 
such  as  corn,  beans,  the  seeds  of  the  squash,  pumpkin,  water- 
melon, cucumber,  musk-melon,  etc.  A  woman  is  appointed  to 
collect  from  the  men.  The  contributions  are  placed  in  the  centre 
of  the  longhouse.  The  men  and  women  each  select  a  player. 
When  a  player  is  unlucky  in  shaking,  another  player  takes  his 
or  her  place,  and  so  on,  until  the  counters  are  all  won.  The 
losing  side  appoints  a  speaker  to  congratulate  the  winners. 
The  winning  of  the  game  by  the  women  is  considered  more 
auspicious  of  a  good  harvest  than  success  by  the  men.  Thanks 
are  again  given  to  the  Great  Spirit  (Haweni'yu')'  at  the  end  of 
the  game.  The  speaker  on  the  losing  side  says :  "Now  you  have 
succeeded  and  we  produce  these  seeds  to  your  hand."  A  female, 
one  of  the  QiQwi^zos,  on  behalf  of  her  side  then  says:  "My 
sons,  we  have  to  perform  our  duty  in  thanking  our  Great  Three 
Sisters  (A"  s%  Na'degpd^'nQ'daa').  We  have  now  to  ayagwatQ- 
wi''sa'  (sing  for  our  Great  Three  Sisters),  and  you  must  help  us 
sing."  All  stand  up,  the  men  lining  up  on  one  side  of  the  centre, 
the  women  on  the  other.  The  leader  of  the  women  uses  the  rattle 
and  sings,  all  joining  in.  She  then  says:  "I  have  finished  thank- 
ing our  Mother,"  then  hands  the  rattle  to  the  next  in  line,  who 
says,  as  before:  "I  have  to  sing  to  thank  our  Mother,"  and  so 
on  with  the  others.  When  the  women  have  finished,  their 
leader  hands  the  rattle  to  the  head  man  and  says:  "Now,  my 
sons,  it's  your  duty  as  well  to  sing,  thanking  our  Great  Sisters." 
The  leading  man  then  sings  and  finishes  by  returning  the  rattle 


•  Prayer  to  Great  Spirit,  Morgan,  League  of  the  Iroquois,  vol.  I.,  p.  210. 


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to  the  leader  of  the  women,  who  says:  "We  thank  our  son  for 
giving  assistance,"  after  which  the  men  sit  down.^  The  leading 
woman  picks  up  a  bundle  of  cobs  of  com,  or  some  seeds,  and 
begins  to  sing  walking  along,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  women, 
also  singing  and  carrying  seeds.  They  go  around  about  three 
times.  The  leader  then  says:  "We  have  got  through  thanking 
our  Sisters  or  Mother."''  Then,  one  of  those  appointed  to 
collect  opens  a  bundle  and  gives  the  seeds  to  the  winning  side 
in  the  game  of  bowl.  Some  prominent  person,  such  as  a  chief, 
is  appointed  speaker,  and  congratulates  the  people  on  being 
present  and  calls  thcattention  of  the  women  to  the  arrival  of  the 
season  for  planting. 

IMPLEMENTS  EMPLOYED. 

Both  hoeing  and  digging  implements  were  employed  by 
eastern  woodland  tribes.  Sagard,  in  describing  the  agriculture 
of  the  Hurons,  remarks  that  "every  year  they  sow  their  corn  in 
the  same  fields  and  places,  which  they  freshen  or  renew  with  their 
little  wooden  shovels,  made  like  an  ear  in  shape,  with  a  handle 
at  the  end;  the  rest  of  the  ground  is  not  cultivated,  but  merely 
cleared  of  injurious  weeds.'  Roger  Williams  mentions  hoes  of 
wood,  while  Peter  Kalm  speaks  of  turning  up  the  ground  with 
crooked  or  sharp  branches.  Champlain  noted  spade-like  instru- 
ments of  hardwood  among  the  Almouchiquois  and  more  southerly 
tribes.*  Loskiel  records  the  use  of  the  shoulder-blade  of  a  deer, 
or  a  tortoise  shell,  sharpened  on  a  stone  and  attached  to  a  stick, 
as  a  hoe.^  "Pick-axes  of  wood"  were  observed  by  Hennepin. 
Hoes  of  a  flat  piece  of  antler  have  been  frequently  found  on 


'  It  was  stated  by  John  Jamieson,  jun.,  Grand  River  reserve,  that  in  the 
ceremonies  of  this  kind  which  he  had  observed,  the  women  and  men  sing 
alternately.  When  the  men  sing  the  women  clap  hands  to  keep  time.  Sing- 
ing by  the  men  is  called  hadow^'dq,'  (On.).  The  men  do  not  use  the  rattle, 
which  used  often  to  be  made  of  a  mud-turtle  shell  painted  black  and  spotted 
with  red.     The  name  he  gave  for  the  society  was  yundagp"wi"'sa'  (On.). 

*  Cf .  Invocation  to  Pigmies  at  Planting  Time:  Parker,  A.  C,  N.  Y, 
State  Museum  Bulletin,  144,  p.  27.     This  is  not  practised  at  Grand  River. 

» Sagard,  Voyage,  Tross  ed.,  pt.  I,  pp.  93,  92. 

*  Champlain,  Voyages,  pt.  I,  p.  65. 

'  Loskiel,  Hist,  of  Mission,  pt.  I,  p.  67. 


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Iroquois  territory,  several  of  these  in  southwestern  Ontario. 
Stone  and  flint  implements  suggesting  use  as  hoes  or  spades  have 
been  found  all  over  the  alluvial  lands  on  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries,  as  well  as  in  the  Iroquois  country.  The  form  most 
widely  distributed  is  an  of  oval  or  elliptical  outline,  with  rounded 
or  pointed  ends,  some  being  notched  for  attachment  to  a  handle, 
which  may  have  been  fastened  on  either  parallel  with  the  longer 
axis,  or  at  an  angle  to  it.^ 

Shell  was  evidently  not  favoured  by  the  Iroquois  as  a 
material  for  hoes,  though  it  was  so  employed  by  surrounding 
nations.^  An  Onondaga  name  for  the  latter  implement  is 
atcokdQ''saa'. 

A  wooden  digging-stick  or  spade,  ehe'di'akta',  is  said  to 
have  been  used  as  recently  as  sixty  years  ago.  A  model  of  this 
was  constructed  by  an  Onondaga  informant.'  A  notch  at  one 
side  afforded  a  place  for  the  foot  in  digging.  The  implement  was 
made  of  hardwood,  such  as  white  oak,  ironwood,  or  hickory 
(Plate  I,  fig.  a). 

Special  articles  for  carrying  the  seed-grain  are  practically 
non-existent  at  present,  although  the  informant  last  mentioned 
remembered  a  flat-shaped  planting-basket,  with  compartments 
for  corn  and  the  bean  or  squash  seeds  which  are  planted  with  it. 
This  was  carried  in  the  hand,  or  was  tied  to  the  belt  (Plate  I, 
fig.  c).  The  name  applied  was  eyentwa'tha'  ga'a"saa'  (On.). 
The  information  was  confirmed  by  other  informants.*  An 
ordinary  small  basket  is  often  used  at  present. 

A  couple  of  types  of  elm  bark  planting  basket  are  noted  by 
A.  C.  Parker.*  Bruyas  records  the  term  "assenonte,"  which 
signifies  "a  small  sack  which  the  women  attach  to  the  belt  and 
in  which  is  their  grain  for  sowing. "°  Both  the  latter  references 
suggest  that  splint  basketry  was  less  extensively  used  in  the 
earlier  days  than  at  present. 


1  Handbook  of  American  Indians,  p.  555. 

'  Wintemberg,  W.  J.,  The  Use  of  Shell  by  the  Ontario  Indians,  Ont.  Arch. 
Rep.,  1907,  p.  38. 

'  Peter  John,  Grand  River  reserve. 

*  Mrs.  Maggie  Hill  (Ca.),  and  John  Jamieson,  jun.,  (Ca.),  Grand  River 
reserve. 

5  Parker,  A.  C,  N.  Y.  State  Museum  Bulletin  144,  plate  19. 

'  Bruyas,  Radices  Verborum  Iroquaeorum. 


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EARLY  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  CORN  CULTURE. 

The  descriptions  of  corn  cultivation  by  early  writers  afe 
interesting  for  comparison.  Hariot,  in  "A  briefe  and  true  report 
of  the  new  found  land  of  Virginia,"  remarks  that  "A  few  dales 
before  they  sowe  or  set,  the  men  with  wooden  instruments,  made 
almost  in  forme  of  mattockes  or  hoes  with  long  handles;  the 
women  with  short  peckers  or  parers,  because  they  use  them 
sitting,  of  a  foote  long  and  about  five  inches  in  breadth :  doe  onely 
breake  the  upper  part  of  the  ground  to  rayse  up  the  weedes, 
grasse,  and  old  stubbles  of  corne  stalkes  with  their  roots." 
These  were  burned,  no  appreciation  being  shown  of  the  ashes  as 
a  fertilizing  material.  Holes  were  made  with  a  pecking  instru- 
ment at  about  half  a  fathom  or  a  yard  apart  and  were  arranged  in 
rows.  Four  grains  were  put  into  each  hole.  In  the  spaces 
between  the  hills,  according  to  this  observer,  were  planted  beans, 
pease,  sunflowers,  "macocqwer"or  squash,  and  "melden." 

A  method  of  planting  in  beds  or  hills  is  described  and  illus- 
trated by  Lafitau,  though  unfortunately,  like  many  others,  he 
fails  to  specify  to  what  tribe  or  nation  he  refers.  He  further 
informs  us  that  "all  that  is  necessary  to  them  is  a  curved  piece 
of  wood,  three  fingers  in  width,  and  attached  to  a  long  handle, 
and  which  serves  to  cut  down  the  weeds  and  to  stir  the  soil  a 
little."  Gourds  (citrouilles)  and  melons  were  planted  in  separ- 
ate fields  by  these  agriculturists.  The  seeds  were  first  planted 
indoors  between  two  pieces  of  bark,  placed  above  their  fire- 
places, then  transplanted.^  A  reference  showing  that  the 
Iroquois  were  quite  early  acquainted  with  transplanting  is  found 
in  Shea's  French-Onondaga  dictionary,  where  we  find  many 
other  interesting  agricultural  terms.^  Large  stones  were  also 
sometimes  placed  among  the  young  plants  to  prevent  them  from 
being  killed  by  late  frosts.' 

Indian  agriculture  evidently  had  a  most  important  bearing 
upon  the  struggle  of  the  early  colonists.     In  most  cases  starva- 


'  Lafitau,  Moeurs  des  Sauvages,  pt.  II,  pp.  76-78. 

^  Shea,  J.  G.,  French-Onondaga  Dictionary  (17th  Century),  see  "Trans- 
plante." 

'  David  Jack  (Ca.). 


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tion  would  have  ensued  without  the  supplies  either  purchased 
or  stolen  from  the  Indians,  and  even  at  a  later  date,  when  the 
stability  of  the  settlements  was  assured,  the  colonists  were  glad 
to  adopt  the  cultivation  of  corn  and  other  native  products. 

The  "Armouchiquois"  employed  both  fish  and  shell  to  enrich 
the  soil.^  The  "Tsonnontouans,"  or  Seneca,  were  said  to  "manure 
a  great  deal  of  ground  for  sowing  their  Indian  corn  in."^  Carr 
makes  the  statement  that  the  "Indian,"  generally,  "understood 
and  appreciated  the  benefits  arising  from  the  use  of  fertilizers."' 
This  evidently  did  not  apply  to  all  the  Iroquois.  The  Relation 
of  1638-39,  for  instance,  remarks,  regarding  the  Hurons,  that 
"the  land,  as  they  do  not  cultivate  it,  produces  for  only  ten  or 
twelve  years  at  most;  and  when  the  ten  years  have  expired, 
they  are  obliged  to  move  their  village  to  another  place."*  A 
method  of  fertilization  sometimes  practised,  according  to  Grand 
River  Iroquois,  was  to  make  a  corn-patch  where  a  house  had 
formerly  stood. 

At  present,  corn  is  occasionally  planted  in  low-lying  ground, 
without  other  cultivation  or  fertilization,  the  foot  being  used 
to  scrape  a  hole  for  and  to  cover  the  grain.^  Some  of  the  older 
people  consider  that  the  corn  is  better  when  planted  in  the  latter 
manner,  although  the  custom  may  be  the  vestige  of  a  taboo 
against  soil  disturbance,  which  was  not  unknown  in  this  area.' 
An  Onondaga  informant  stated  that  in  his  younger  days  the 
weeds  were  sometimes  merely  cleared  away  for  a  small  space 
around  the  old  cornstalk,  which  was  then  pulled,  the  corn  being 
planted  in  the  hollow  left.  This  was  called  "gana'g^se'tciy," 
or  "scraping  with  the  hoe  and  planting  in  the  same  place  again."' 


>  Lescarbot,  Paris,  1612,  vol.  II,  p.  834. 
'  Hennepin,  A  New  Discovery,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  p.  46. 
'  Carr,  Mounds  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  Smithsonian  Rep.,  1891. 
*  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XV,  p.  153. 
6  John  Echo  and  Peter  John  (On.);  John  Jamieson,  jun.  (Ca.). 
«  Boyle,  David,  Arch.  Rep.  Ontario,  1898,  pp.  68,  69. 
Mooney,  Jas.,  Ghost  Dance  Religion,  Annual  Report,  B.  A.  E.,  vol. 
XIV,  pt.  II. 

'  Peter  John  (On.). 


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CORN   "medicines." 

When  all  is  ready  for  planting,  the  corn  is  soaked  in  a  de- 
coction made  of  certain  herbal  ingredients.  The  moisture  causes 
the  corn  to  germinate  slightly,  though  the  utility  of  the  added 
materials  is  not  so  evident.  There  is  possibly  some  connexion 
with  sympathetic  magic,  the  other  plants  contributing  their 
vitality,  or  otherwise  assisting  and  protecting  the  corn.  Re- 
garding what  appeared  to  be  the  oldest  or,  at  any  rate,  the  most 
important  of  these  preparations,  it  was  stated  by  a  Cayuga 
informant^  that  it  prevented  the  worms  and  birds  from  bothering. 
A  sort  of  halo  was  also  said  to  be  sometimes  seen  around  the 
plants. 

A  reference  to  corn  medicines  is  found  in  the  Code  of  Hand- 
some Lake,  the  Iroquois  prophet,  as  translated  by  A.  C.  Parker : 
"Now  it  is  understood  that  Dio'hckp  (the  corn,  bean  and  squash 
spirits),  have  a  secret  medicine,  o'saga'nda  and  o'di'sdani. 
So  soak  your  seed  corn  in  these  two  medicines  before  you  plant 
your  fields.     The  medicines  grow  on  the  flat  lands  near  streams."* 

The  medicine  referred  to  consists,  according  to  Grand 
River  informants,  of  the  submerged  rootstocks  of  Phragmites 
communis,  a  tall,  reed-like  grass  growing  in  marshes;  and 
Hystrix  patula,  or  bottle-brush  grass,  also  growing  in  low  land. 
The  former  is  called  by  Brant  County  Onondaga  u'sa'ga'^da' ; 
the  latter,  gusdisda''ni'.    According  to  Chief  Gibson's  directions, 


■  Chief  David  Jack,  a  Brant  County  Cayuga. 

*  Parker,  A.  C,  The  Code  of  Handsome  Lake,  N.  Y.  State  Mus.  Bulletin, 
163,  p.  S4. 

A  story  which  may  or  may  not  account  for  the  origin  of  "corn  medicine" 
was  given  by  John  Echo  (On.).  This  was  to  the  effect  that  the  Allegheny 
Iroquois  once  gathered  up  food  and  other  material  for  a  celebration  of  the 
before-planting  or  yundag(j"wi-"sa'  ceremony.  They  also  obtained  a  lot  of 
whiskey,  with  which  they  put  in  a  prolonged  spree.  This  lasted  so  long  that  ■ 
a  month  elapsed  before  they  thought  of  planting  their  corn.  In  the  fall  when 
the  frosts  came  the  corn  was  still  immature,  so  that  they  lost  the  whole  crop. 
A  voice — that  of  Hawani'yu' — was  heard.  It  said:  "It  is  your  own  fault. 
You  did  wrong."  He  then  went  to  one  family  which  lived  away  by  itself 
and  had  taken  no  part  in  the  spree  and  told  the  members  that  the  only  way 
to  escape  permanent  retribution  for  their  foolishness  was  to  use  com  medicine. 
Skaniadai'iyu'  afterward  confirmed  this. 


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the  roots  of  a  single  bunch  or  cluster  of  each  plant  are  to  be 
taken,  eight  quarts  of  water  added,  and  the  whole  boiled  down 
to  six.  This  is  cooled,  the  seed  corn  added  and  left  for  an  hour 
or  so,  after  which  it  is  drained,  placed  in  a  basket  while  still 
moist,  and  left  until  it  sprouts  a  little.  In  olden  times,  accord- 
ing to  David  Jack,  some  one  would  bring  a  quantity  of  the  root 
to  the  longhouse  and  each  person  who  intended  to  plant  any- 
thing would  be  given  a  piece.  The  directions  of  the  latter  in- 
formant were  to  take  a  whole  plant  of  the  bottle-brush  grass* 
(Ca.,  gu'sdista')  and  about  4  inches  of  the  rootstock  of  the 
phragmites  (usa''ge'enda') ;  these  are  crushed  and  added  to 
about  five  quarts  of  warm  water. 

At  Tonawanda,  N.Y.,  wild  rye  (Elymus  canadensis)  was 
given  instead  of  bottle-brush  grass*,  one  having  possibly  been 
confused  with  or  substituted  for  the  other.  Seneca  names  for 
phragmites,  given  by  Barber  Black,  were  gasa''geq.da'  and 
yen5w§"da'gwa'  one'g'.'  Mrs.  Peter  Sundown,  who  comes 
from  Alleghany,  gave  disdi'sdani'  for  one  ingredient. 

Quite  different  materials  from  those  named  are  used  in 
some  localities.  Peter  John,  Onondaga,  employed  the  leaves 
of  the  mandrake  {Podophyllum  peltatum).  These  were  simply 
placed  in  the  water,  the  flowers  of  the  elder  {Sambucus  cana- 
densis) being  also  sometimes  added. 

None  of  the  medicines  described  are  poisonous,  although 
Kalm  records  the  use  of  the  wild  hellebore  {Veratrum  album) 
by  the  Swedes  and  other  colonists  of  the  eastern  states,*  pos- 
sibly in  imitation  of  the  Indians. 

Sagard  observed  that  the  Hurons  soaked  their  seed-grain 
in  warm  water,  although  no  herbal  ingredients  are  mentioned.* 


^The  same  informant  later  showed  a  sample  of  nodding  fescue  grass, 
Fesiaca  nutans,  as  the  proper  material,  showing  that  some  uncertainty  exists 
regarding  this  ingredient,  or  that  different  grasses  are  used. 

'  Informant,  Barber  Bleick. 

•  The  latter  is  simply  a  general  name  meaning  "medicine  for  putting  corn 
in."  A  Cayuga  equivalent  to  this,  given  by  David  Jack,  was  en^h^wf 
'da'kwa'  onp'gwatra. 

*  Kalm,  Trcwels,  vol.  II,  pp.  91,  92. 

»  Sagard,  Grand  Voyage,  Tross  ed.,  pt.  I,  p.  93. 


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This  seems  to  be  the  earliest  record  of  any  such  custom.  There 
is  a  possibility  that  a  part  of  the  process  escaped  his  observa- 
tion. 

It  is  interesting  for  comparison  to  note  that  white  people 
occasionally  add  oats  to  the  water  in  which  seed  corn  is  ger- 
minated. Oats  are  also  sometimes  planted  with  cuttings  of 
trees  and  shrubs. 

PLANTING   OF   THE    CORN. 

After  the  corn  medicine  has  been  applied — to  continue 
Chief  Gibson's  description — the  family  all  turn  out.  The  woman 
of  the  house  stands  in  the  middle  of  the  field  and  offers  up  a 
brief  invocation,  using  some  such  form  of  words  as:  "God,  our 
Father,  you  see  me  and  my  children.  We  stand  in  the  middle 
of  the  field  where  we  are  going  to  plant  our  food.  We  beg  you 
to  supply  us  with  an  abundant  yield  of  corn."  They  then 
commence  to  plant,  usually  placing  beans,  squash  seeds,  or 
pumpkin  seeds  in  every  hill,  or  every  few  hills  apart. 

John  Echo  (On.),  who  lives  in  the  same  locality,  described 
the  man  as  the  head  of  the  family.  The  following  was  given  as 
an  example  of  the  prayer  offered:  "Gai^hia'de'si'd^'  sowani'yu' 
cnawa^'agwa^ade'sa'  u'na'ohe'dagQ'wa  ^yagowa'y^'  agionhe*- 
gwi'  un^'ha'  unendi'  wagwaiiwa'ne'gq,  skangtgseyagwatga'twa' 
une'ndi'  dasko^d^'^:^'.  This  may  be  rendered  freely  as:  "In 
the  sky  you  live,  Haweni'yu'.  We  are  ready  to  place  in  the 
ground  the  corn  upon  which  we  live.  We  ask  for  assistance 
and  that  we  may  have  a  plentiful  crop." 

All  the  cultivation  given  formerly  was  to  chop  down  the 
weeds,  or  to  clear  aw&y  the  last  year's  cornstalks.  The  weeds 
which  sprang  up  were  either  pulled  up  or  trampled  down. 

A  couple  of  beans,  mentioned  specially  as  cornstalk  beans, 
were  obtained  from  Mrs.  Fannie  Johnson  of  Tonawanda,  whose 
grandmother  had  kept  up  their  cultivation.  One  of  these, 
called  o'ia'gekaa',  was  buff  with  stripes  of  a  very  dark  maroon, 
and  of  a  short,  flat  shape.  The  other,  a  small,  dark  brown  bean, 
was  called  oy^'gwa''^'  (smoky-coloured). 

The  sunflower  was  also  sometimes  planted  with  the  corn  and 
beans,  although  it  was  perhaps  more  frequently  cultivated  in 


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patches  by  itself.  Kalm,  in  his  visit  to  Lower  Canada,  noticed 
that  the  Hurons  of  Lorette  "plant  our  common  sunflower  in 
their  maize-fields,  and  mix  the  seeds  of  it  into  their  sagamit6, 
or  maize-soup."' 

A  taboo  in  connexion  with  corn-planting  was  obtained  from 
Mr.  Seth  Newhouse  of  Canienga.  This  was  to  the  effect  that 
a  woman  at  the  menstrual  period  should  abstain  from  any  part 
in  planting  operations. 

The  best  time  for  corn-planting,  according  to  Jacob  Hess 
(Ca.),  is  when  the  first  leaves  appearing  on  the  oak  in  spring  are 
as  big  as  a  red  squirrel's  foot.  This  he  believed  to  be  an  old 
Iroquois  tradition. 

It  was  remarked  by  John  Echo  (On.)  that  a  reliable  method 
was  to  plant  the  corn  when  the  blossoms  of  the  juneberry 
(Amelanchier  canadensis),  or  ga'a'dugk  appear.  Peas,  accord- 
ing to  the  same  informant,  are  to  be  planted  in  the  full  of  the 
moon.     The  latter  idea  is  evidently  a  European  borrowing. 

Additional  Terminology  {Onondaga). 

First  hoeing,  deyehe"daw4'yi'k. 

Second  hoeing,  deye'nondai'ets  (puts  its  legs  together). 

I  am  through  hoeing  the  corn,  wagat^di'sa'o'ne  on§'ha'. 

Planting  time,  tsa'niyeyentwahugk,  or  tsa'niyeyendo't'ha'    (setting  up 

a  log) 
Hill  of  corn,  deye'nondai'ets. 
Cornstalk,  uhe-'e'     . 
Corn  pith,  oha''da'. 

She  is  plucking  the  ripe  corn,  eng'gwaye'ntha'  (all  the  crop  taken). 
She  is  plucking  the  green  corn,  enQ'gw?"yu"ne'  (plucking  a  little  green 

corn). 
She  cuts  down  the  weeds,  deyehe'dawq'yik  or  agenu'ge'yaks,  or  ehe"- 

daa's. 
She  is  dropping  or  planting  the  corn,  gonahg'die's. 
Milk  or  juice  of  corn,  ogg'sa'gei'. 
She  is  husking  corn,  enoyu'ntha'. 
A  braid  or  string  of  corn,  djusd^'sa'Sda'. 
He  is  making  a  string  of  corn,  hast^"saa'niaha'. 
They  are  making  strings  of  corn,  hadist^'saa'niaha'. 
She  is  making  a  string  of  corn,  t''st?''saa'niaha'. 


»  Kalm,  Travels,  vol.  Ill,  p.  164. 


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She  is  planting  com,  eyc'ntwas. 

The  corn  is  sprouting,  odiag^^'io'ne. 

The  ears  are  forming,  ohw^'da'o'ne,  or  onQgw^'yuwa"^'^  (sing.). 

Corn  silk,  ogee'da'. 

The  silk  is  forming,  ogee^da'o'ne. 

The  tassel,  ogw^'da'haa',  or  ogw^'da^haa'o'ne. 

Pollen,  aw?'ha'. 

The  pollen  is  being  shed,  aw^'ha'  wa'sg's. 

The  corn  is  in  the  milk,  ha-sa''  deyuisate'k  4'ni'yut. 

The  green  corn  is  ready  for  use  (for  boiling),  ha'degaiye'i'o'ne  ayenp'- 

gwa'yo''-  ^ 

The  corn  is  getting  ripe,  deyonoyane'dao'ne  (husk  is  getting  yellow  now). 
Corn  leaves,  odjiQwa^so'wane's. 
Root  (of  corn),  uhe"e'  ukde"ha'. 
Germ  or  heart  of  a  grain  of  corn,  aweya^sa'  on^'ha'. 
Hull  or  skin,  on^'ha',  ogee"gwa'. 
Corn-cob,  onQ"gwq''ya'. 
The  butt  of  a  cob,  u'ni'sda'. 
The  nose  or  end  of  a  cob,  o'niij"sa'. 
The  corn  is  hung  over  a  pole,  gast^'sa'nig'da'  o'4^na"gt". 

THANK^IVING    AFTER    PLANTING. 

After  planting,  the  people  meet  again  to  thank  the  Great 
Mother  and  also  to  give  thanks  "direct  to  God" — to  use  Chief 
Gibson's  phraseology — that  they  have  got  through  with  this  part 
of  their  labours.  The  speaker  at  this  ceremony  asks  the  Thunder 
Man  to  protect  the  plants  and  to  bring  the  rain  or  moisture  to 
wet  the  ground  and  to  make  them  grow.  The  Onondaga  name 
given  for  the  Thunder  Man  is  Etiso'da'  Hadiwenoda'die's, 
the  Grandfather  of  all.     A  Seneca  equivalent  is  Hi'ng'. 

The  duty  of  the  Thunder  Men  individually  and  collectively 
is  to  carry  water  to  dampen  and  w^sh  the  earth  and  to  renew 
the  water  in  the  streams,  creeks,  and  lakes.  They  must,  there- 
fore, be  thanked,  as  well  as  the  Sun,  Moon,  and  other  deities, 
and  asked  to  protect  and  prosper  the  crops. 

CULTIVATION    CEREMONIALS. 

When  the  corn  is  up  there  is  another  meeting  and  a  dance, 
also  when  the  first  cultivating  and  hoeing  are  finished.  One  of 
the  chief  speakers  addresses  the  people,  giving  thanks  and  "con- 


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gratulating"  them  on  having  done  their  duty  in  assisting  our 
Great  Mother.  He  next  addresses  God,  thanking  him  and  asking 
him  to  give  an  abundant  yield.  Two  singers  are  then  appointed 
and  the  Great  Feather  Dance  performed.  The  first  hoeing  is 
called  in  Onondaga  deyehe'daw4'yik  or  deyehe'daw4ye'har)k, 
the  latter  name  denoting  a  large  number  of  people  working. 

The  second  cultivation  takes  place,  according  to  the  inform- 
ant,^ when  the  corn  is  about  2  feet  high,  and  a  meeting  is 
again  held.  This  cultivation  is  called  deye'npdai'i'ga',  or  hilling 
up.  At  each  of  these  meetings  corn  soup  is  made  and  distributed 
equally  among  those  present. 

Invocations  or  prayers  to  the  Thunder  Men  may  be  offered 
at  any  or  all  of  the  meetings,  as  may  seem  desirable.  If  the 
weather  is  too  hot  or  dry,  special  gatherings  may  be  called  for 
such  invocations  and  are  considered  highly  effective  and  bene- 
ficial.^ 

RAIN-MAKING. 

Ceremonies  for  producing  or  controlling  rain  have  been 
practised  by  most  North  American  tribes  and  are  frequently 
described  by  the  earlier  travellers  and  others.  These  seem, 
among  the  Iroquois,  to  have  been  mostly  shamanistic,  or  one- 
man  performances,  which  were  later  incorporated  as  regular 
religious  functions  or  cerefnonials. 

Le  Jeune,  in  the  Relation  of  1636,  describes  the  rain-making 
performances  of  a  Huron  medicine-man:  "All  were  crying  for 
help,  and  imploring,  according  to  their  custom,  the  help  of  the 
sorcerers,  or  Arendiowane.  .  .  .  These  deceivers  played  all 
the  tricks  that  dreams  and  their  own  empty  heads  could  suggest 
to  them  in  order  to  bring  rain,  but  in  vain.  .  .  .  There  was 
one  of  these  sorcerers  named  Tehorenhaegnon,  more  famous 
than  the  others,  who  promised  marvels,  provided  the  whole 
country  made  him  a  present  of  the  value  of  ten  hatchets,  not  to 
speak  of  a  multitude  of  feasts;  but  these  efforts  were  in  vain — 
dreaming,   feasting,  dancing,  were  all  to  no  purpose."     This 


'  Chief  Gibson. 

'  Cf.  Caswell,  H.  S.,  Our  Life  Among  the  Iroquois,  p.  217. 


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"soothsayer"  gave  as  a  reason  for  his  non-success,  "that  the 
thunder,  which  they  pretend  is  a  bird,  was  afraid  of  the  cross 
that  was  in  front  of  the  Frenchman's  house."' 

The  Petuns,  or  Tobacco  Nation,  another  cognate  tribe, 
possessed  performers  of  a  similar  type:  "Onditachiae  is  renowned 
.  .  .  from  having  in  hand  the  rains,  the  winds,  and  the 
thunder.  This  thunder  is,  by  his  account,  a  man  like  a  turkey- 
cock;  the  sky  is  his  palace,  and  he  retires  there  when  it  is  serene; 
he  comes  down  to  earth  to  get  his  supply  of  adders  and  serpents, 
and  of  all  they  call  Oki,  when  the  thunder  is  rumbling;  the  light- 
nings occur  in  proportion  as  he  extends  or  folds  his  wings.  If  the 
uproar  is  a  little  louder,  it  is  his  little  ones  who  accompany  him, 
and  help  him  to  make  a  noise  as  best  they  can." 

Dryness,  according  to  this  sorcerer,  came  from  caterpillars, 
over  which  he  had  no  control. 

Le  Jeune  further  states^  with  regard  to  the  Thunder,  that 
"the  Hurons  believed  it  to  be  a  very  large  bird.  They  were 
led  to  this  belief  by  a  hollow  sound  made  by  a  kind  of  swallow 
(evidently  the  night-hawk,  Chordeiles  virginianus)  which  appears 
here  in  the  summer  .  .  they  fly  about  in  the  evening,  re- 
peatedly making  a  dull  noise.  The  Hurons  say  they  make  this 
noise  from  behind,''  as  does  also  the  bird  which  they  think  is 
the  thunder."  This  information  was  obtained  from  the  Mon- 
tagnais,  who  added  that  "it  ate  snakes  and  sometimes  trees."' 

Among  the  Iroquois  proper  and  a  number  of  the  eastern 
Algonkin  tribes,  the  Thunder-bird  idea  is  replaced  by  that  of 
the  Thunder  Men,  usually  four  in  number,  who  control  the  rain 
and  thunder.  In  a  mythological  sketch  received  from  Chief 
Gibson,  the  Thunder  Men  were  represented  as  hurling  thunder- 
bolts at  a  huge  serpent  which  they  are  believed  to  have  in  charge. 
A  common  Oneida  term  for  thunder  is  ga'sagaiyaont,  "the  Thun- 


'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  X,  pp.  35,  37. 

Cf.  also  pp.  193,  195. 

Cf.  Loskiel,  Hist,  of  Mission,  pt.  I,  p.  46. 
2  The  name  for  this  bird  at  present  in  use  among  the  Onondaga  refers  to 
this  supposed  characteristic. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  VI,  p.  225. 


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derer,  our  Grandfather."'  Low  or  distant  thunder  is  caused 
by  a  human  being  who  was  captured  by  the  Thunder  Men  and 
made  to  replace  one  of  their  number  who  was  killed  by  a  giant 
blood-sucker  or  leech  .^ 

The  special  ceremonial  at  present  held  for  invoking  rain 
is  described  by  Chief  Gibson  as  follows:  A  meeting  is  called. 
The  chiefs  appoint  one  man  to  be  speaker,  while  the  younger 
members  or  warriors  (hodisg^agi''da')  are  often  stripped  to  the 
Waist,  or  clad  only  in  a  breech-cloth.  When  the  warriors  are 
ready,  the  old  people  make  a  fire  near  the  west  end  of  the  long- 
house.  The  speaker  tells  the  people  to  go  towards  the  fire. 
All  have  some  Indian  tobacco,  which  they  have  been  requested 
by  the  speaker  to  bring.  This  is  deposited  in  a  basket  held 
by  one  of  the  older  chiefs.  An  old  woman  is  now  selected  to 
get  water  from  the  creek.  The  braves  are  called  to  stand  sur- 
rounding the  fire,  also  the  woman  who  has  been  appointed  to 
get  the  water,  while  the  speaker  prepares  to  burn  the  tobacco.* 
These  are  the  only  ones  who  take  an  active  part  in  the  ceremony. 

Then  the  speaker  (a  chief)  calls  "ku  ku  ku"  in  a  high  key. 
He  then  speaks  loudly  and  says:  "You  have  heard  the  voice 
from  the  people  on  earth  direct  to  you.  Thunder  Man.  The 
people  ask  you  to  supply  us  rain  to  Wet  the  earth  and  renew 
the  streams,  creeks,  and  lakes."  He  next  picks  up  the  tobacco, 
throws  it  into  the  fire,  and  says:  "This  is  the  tobacco,  the 
people's  word  for  speaking  direct  to  you.  We  are  very  anxious 
to  have  rain,  as  it  is  dry  weather  on  earth  and  it  is  very  hard 


'  Mrs.  David  Williams,  Oneidatown,  Ontario. 

'  John  Jamieson,  jun.  and  others.  The  writer  has  more  extended  informa- 
tion in  MSS. 

'  Mrs.  E.  A.  Smith,  in  Myths  of  the  Iroquois,  says:  "In  a  dry  season,  the 
horizon  being  filled  with  distant  thunder  heads,  it  was  customary  to  burn 
what  is  called  by  the  Indians  real  tobacco  as  an  offering  to  bring  rain. 

On  occasions  of  this  nature  the  people  were  notified  by  swift-footed  heralds 
that  the  children,  or  sons,  of  Thunder  were  in  the  horizon,  and  that  tobacco 
must  be  burned  in  order  to  get  some  rain."  2nd  Ann.  Rep.,  B.A.E.,  1880-81, 
p.  72. 

Cf.  Heckewelder,  Phila.,  1819,  p.  229. 

Williams,  Roger,  Key,  pt.  I,  p.  70,  notes  the  existence  of  "meetings" 
to  pray  for  rain  among  the  Narraganset  and  Eastern  Indians. 


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on  us  that  there  is  to  be  a  failare  of  whatever  grows  on  earth. 
So  we  ask  you  to  give  us  rain."  Then,  taking  up  the  tobacco 
again,  he  says:  "Here  is  the  tobacco,  the  people's  word  to  you." 
The  braves  now  dance  the  wasa^si.^  The  speaker  says:  "When 
they  get  through  the  dance,  we  shall  expect  you  to  get  rain  for 
us."  The  tobacco  throwing  is  repeated  twice  more  with  a 
similar  invocation  in  each  case. 

When  the  speaker  gets  through,  the  people  go  into  the 
longhouse,  with  the  exception  of  the  warriors  and  the  woman 
with  the  water.  As  soon  as  the  people  have  all  got  inside,  the 
warriors  give  three  cheers.  Two  men  who  have  been  appointed 
as  singers  then  take,  one  a  drum,  the  other  a  rattle,  and  begin 
singing  as  soon  as  the  cheers  are  given.  Then  the  woman  with 
the  pail  scatters  water  towards  the  warriors  at  the  fire,  using 
her  hands  for  the  purpose.  The  warriors  now  begin  to  dance, 
moving  slowly  towards  the  longhouse.  The  dancers  sometimes 
whoop  and  shout  very  loudly,  "like  thunder,"  until  they  get 
into  the  longhouse.  The  woman  follows,  sousing  them  with 
water  as  they  go.  They  continue  dancing  inside  for  a  time. 
A  number  of  the  old  men  and  women  then  make  speeches  giving 
thanks.  Anyone  wishing  to  speak  has  a  stick  and  strikes  on 
the  wall  or  floor;  then  the  singers  and  dancers  stop.  This  is 
called  ^hanegwa^ei'gwa'  (whoever  wishes  to  speak),  the  expres- 
sion called  out  by  the  person  desiring  to  take  his  turn  at  speech- 
making. 

One  of  the  chiefs  generally  speaks  first,  and  may  use  some 
such  form  as:  "It  is  generally  beneficial  throughout  the  world 
to  have  rain.  I  thank  you,  warriors,  for  your  performance. 
We  give  thanks  to  the  Thunder.  You'll  supply  us  with  water 
to  dampen  the  earth  and  plants.  We  thank  you,  our  Father 
which  art  in  heaven."  He  then  hands  a  small  bundle  of  Indian 
tobacco  to  the  leader  of  the  dance  and  says:  "This  is  my  word 
for  speaking  direct  to  you,  etc."  The  performers  then  dance 
and  cheer  again.  The  striking  with  the  stick  is  continued  by 
others  who  desire  to  speak.     The  women  generally  bring  cakes 


'  It  was  stated  that  this  is  called  a  war-dance  now,  but  that  it  is  not 
really  such.  It  is  referred  to  by  A.  C.  Parker  in  The  Code  of  Handsome  Lake, 
N.Y.  State  Mus.  Bulletin,  163,  p.  104,  as  the  "Thunder  Dance." 


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of  some  kind  and  when  they  give  them  they  say,  "This  is  my 
word."  Near  the  close  of  this  part  of  the  proceedings  the  speaker 
congratulates  them  and  says:  "We  hope  the  Thunder  will  ap- 
prove of  what  we  ask." 

Corn  soup  is  a  necessity  and  an  announcement  is  now  made 
that  this  will  be  distributed  equally  among  the  people. 

Sometimes,  before  they  are  through,  the  thunder  may  be 
heard,  or  often  the  next  day  it  will  rain.  A  name  given  for 
this  ceremony  was  hadistai^ndie'ta'.^  It  was  remarked  by 
another  informant  that  two  women  were  chosen  for  the  water- 
throwing  performance,  one  for  the  deer  side,  the  other  for  the 
•mud- turtle.^ 

A  method  for  rain-making  given  by  Barber  Black,  of  Tona- 
wanda,  was  to  take  a  little  piece  of  the  bark  of  a  walnut  tree 
where  it  has  been  struck  by  lightning.  When  the  weather  is  too 
dry,  place  this  in  a  cup  of  water,  and  leave  for  a  couple  of  min- 
utes.    It  will  then  rain  in  two  days. 

According  to  a  couple  of  Grand  River  informants,'  pointing 
at  a  storm  which  is  going  around  will  cause  it  to  come  back. 
This  was  contradicted  by  Peter  John  (On.)  of  the  same  locality, 
who  said  the  belief  was  that  pointing  at  the  storm  would  make 
it  go  away. 

It  was  stated  by  John  Jamieson,  jun.,  that  toads  should  not 
be  killed,  but,  that  if  one  were  killed  and  turned  over  on  its  back, 
rain  would  be  produced. 

A  method  of  turning  a  thunderstorm  aside  was  given  by 
Mrs.  David  Williams,  Oneidatown,  Ontario.  She  had  seen  her 
father  undertake  this  at  one  time  by  sticking  the  handle  of  an 
axe  in  the  ground  with  the  sharp  edge  pointing  towards  the 
approaching  cloud*. 


'  For  reference  to  thunder  ceremony,  see  Morgan,  League  of  the  Iroquois, 
vol.  I,  p.  188. 

•  The  phratric  division  is  often  referred  to  by  naming  one  of  the  clans  on 
each  side. 

'  John  Jamieson,  jun.,  and  Chief  J.  H.  Gibson. 

*  Sagard  was  asked  by  some  Hurons  to  "kill  the  thunder,"  which  they 
believed  to  be  a  bird.     Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  175. 

Cf.  also  Bartram,  Observations,  p.  68. 


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The  same  method  was  referred  to  by  informants  at  other 
places.  An  interesting  parallel  with  this  idea  is  to  be  found 
in  the  following  from  Le  Jeune's  Relation  of  1636:  "Father 
Buteux  asked  a  savage  (Montagnais)  why  they  fixed  their 
javelins'  point  upward.  He  replied  that,  as  the  thunder  had 
intelligence,  it  would,  upon  seeing  these  naked  javelins,  turn 
aside,  and  would  be  very  careful  not  to  come  near  their  cabins."' 

A  storm  on  the  Great  Lake  of  the  Hurons  was  explained  as 
follows  to  Lalement:  "After  having  in  vain  exhausted  both 
their  skill  and  their  strength  in  resisting  the  tempest,  they  began 
to  despair;  they  invoked  a  certain  Demon  named  lannaoa, 
who,  they  say,  once  cast  himself  into  this  lake  in  his  despair, 
and  causes  all  these  storms  when  he  wishes  to  revenge  himself 
upon  men;  and  he  calms  them  after  men  have  paid  him  some 
homage.  In  his  honour,  they  throw  tobacco  into  the  water, 
which  in  these  countries  is  a  kind  of  sacrifice."^ 

A  description  of  rain-making  obtained  by  Dr.  Boyle  from 
William  Bill,  a  Brant  County  Iroquois,  contains  the  following 
method  of  stopping  rain:  "If  I  want  to  stop  rain,  just  put  some 
ashes  and  coal  and  some  tobacco  in  a  little  tin  dish,  and  look 
toward  the  west,  and  just  watch  it."' 

Previous  to  the  rain-making  ceremony,  according  to  John 
Jamieson,  jun.,  a  number  of  active  young  men  used  to  be  sent 
out  to  hunt  for  the  splinters  from  trees  which  had  been  struck 
by  lightning.  The  fire  for  the  ceremony  was  kindled  near 
sundown  from  this  material,  and  was  usually  very  small  or  just 
large  enough  to  consume  the  iCeremonial  tobacco. 

As  the  tobacco  was  placed  on  the  fire,  an  invocation  or 
prayer  was  offered  asking  for  rain  to  make  the  corn,  potatoes, 
and  other  products  grow.  The  woman  with  the  water  next 
picked  up  the  charred  wood  from  the  fire  and  put  it  into  the 
pail  which  she  held,  after  which  more  tobacco  was  offered  and 
power  asked  for  the  water  to  wet  the  corn  and  other  crops. 


'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  X,  p.  25. 
For  a  Cherokee  method  of  "frightening  a  storm"  see  Bur.  o}  Eth-  Rep., 
1885-86,  pp.  387-388. 

8  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXVI,  pp.  309,311. 
3  Boyle,  Dr.  David,  Arch.  Rep.,  Ontario,  1902,  p.  184. 


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Good  luck  was  asked  for  everybody.  The  woman  then  threw 
the  burnt  wood  out  of  the  pail,  the  water  contained  in  it  being 
afterward  used  to  sprinkle  the  dancers. 

OTHER  PLANTING  TIME   CUSTOMS   AND   BELIEFS. 

Incantations  or  divination  with  a  view  to  finding  out  what 
sort  of  crop  may  be  expected  seem  to  have  been  practised  at 
times.  A  lightning-bug  (On.,  djistano'g4'),  or  a  cicada  (On., 
ganahaiita"gwa',  "corn-ripener"),  for  instance,  flying  inside  the 
house  after  corn  or  other  seeds  are  planted,  is  the  sign  of  a 
bountiful  harvest.*  The  desired  information  may  be  gathered, 
as  already  noted,  from  the  success  or  otherwise  of  the  women 
in  the  peach-stone  game  at  the  spring  meeting  of  the  QtQwi"zas, 
though  it  is  probable  that  shamanistic  performances  were 
frequently  resorted  to  formerly.  We  have,  in  fact,  a  suggestion 
of  this  in  the  Relation  of  1642-43,  in  which  we  are  informed  that 
among  the  Hurons  "the  famous  Magician  in  the  Country  was 
consulted  to  learn  what  success  might  be  expected  from  the 
corn  that  had  been  planted."  The  exact  method  of  procedure 
is  not  given,  although  the  people  were  required  to  go  every  day 
to  their  fields,  make  an  offering  of  tobacco  and  call  upon  the 
"Demon"  or  deity,  which  they  worshipped.'' 

The  services  of  fortune-tellers  are  still  in  requisition,  as  in 
many  white  communities,  for  such  purposes  as  dream-inter- 
pretation, the  finding  of  lost  articles,  the  solution  of  love  affairs, 
and  the  prognostication  of  success  or  non-success  in  agricultural 
and  other  undertakings. 

WEATHER-LORE. ' 

According  to  Peter  John  (On.),  a  sure  sign  of  rain  is  the 
series  of  small  explosions  or  puffs  heard  during  the  combustion 
of  hardwood  fuel;  the  cackling  or  calling,  while  flying,  of  the 
great  crested  or  pileated  woodpecker,  gw?"gw?;  the  leaping  and 
falling  backward  of  a  sturgeon  in  the  water. 


'■  Peter  John,  John  Echo,  and  others. 
2  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXIII,  p.  35. 
'  A  small  collection  of  Iroquois  omens  is  given  by  Hewitt  in  the  Amer. 
Anthrop.,  1890. 


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Lots  of  husk  on  an  ear  of  corn  means  a  cold  winter,  while 
little  husk  indicates  a  mild  winter. 

Ice  making  a  loud  report  is  the  sign  of  a  thaw;  also  mice 
coming  out  and  running  about  on  the  snow,  as  indicated  by 
their  tracks.  The  latter  was  considered  a  particularly  reliable 
sign  by  the  informant. 

It  was  stated  by  Mrs.  David  Williams  (Oneida)  that  cold 
weather  may  be  produced  by  burning  the  boughs  of  the  hem- 
lock, ona^TA.  Dr.  Boyle  notes  that  the  performance  of  the 
"Skeleton  Dance"  in  the  spring  is  thought  to  be  productive  of 
frost.i 

The  following  were  given  by  Chief  David  Key,  Seneca — 
the  names  are  in  Onondaga: 

When  a  man  is  smoking  and  the  smoke  blows  in  a  streak  to 
one  side,  it  will  rain  in  twenty-four  hours.  The  tobacco  used 
must  be  oy^'gwaQ'wt',  or  Iroquois  native  tobacco  {Nicotiana 
rustica). 

Cirrus  clouds  mean  rain  in  a  short  time. 

A  robin  (djisga"ga')  sitting  on  the  very  top  of  a  tree  and 
singing  is  a  sign  of  rain;  also  flying-squirrels  sticking  their 
heads  out  of  their  nests  in  hollow  trees  and  emitting  a  call. 

When  it  rains  during  a  new  moon  it  will  be  soft  all  month, 
also  if  a  warm  west  wind  comes  up  at  a  similar  period. 

A  new  moon  lying  horizontally  means  lots  of  rain ;  standing 
up  pretty  straight  it  means  plenty  of  snow. 

Whirlwinds  (uwa'da'se')  are  a  sign  of  dry  weather,  also 
cumulus  clouds.  The  latter  also  foretell  high  winds.  John 
Jamieson,  jun.,  furnished  the  additional  item  regarding  whirl- 
winds, that  a  short  piece  of  hair  would  be  found  in  the  centre 
of  the  spot  where  a  whirlwind  has  been  seen.  If  this  be  picked 
up  it  will  cause  larger  ones  to  come  and  destroy  your  buildings. 

Muskrat  houses  built  large  and  thick  indicate  cold  weather 
and  high  water.  You  will  also  see  the  tracks  of  the  animals  in 
the  snow  where  they  have  got  away  to  safety. 

Northern  lights  (duwa^ni^hwos,  "raining  away  out") 
indicate  that  the  rain  or  snow  is  all  over  and  that  the  weather 


» Boyle,  David,  Arch.  Rep.  Ontario,  1898,  p.  130. 


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will  be  dry  or  cold.    The  name  watowe'thi'   (On.)  given  by 
John  Echo,  was  translated  as  "going  to  have  cold  weather." 

An  eclipse  (wada^gwa'duqk,  "hid  the  moon  or  sun")  means 
a  change  in  the  weather. 

Signs  furnished  by  John  Echo  were: 

The  hooting  of  a  horned  owl  (On.,  deg^'ski")  is  a  sign  of 
rain  or  snow. 

To  hear  chopping  or  shouting  plainly  at  a  greater  distance 
than  usual  is  a  sign  of  rain  in  a  very  few  days. 

When  the  streak  of  fat  on  the  kidney  of  an  animal  like  a 
deer  or  bear  is  thick  all  along  it  will  be  cold  weather.  When 
thick  at  either  end  and  thin  at  the  other  it  will  be  cold  or  warm 
at  corresponding  parts  of  the  season. 

John  Jamieson,  jun.,  stated  that: 

Sun-dogs  (On.,  deyaou'gw^,  "throws  the  sunshine")  are  a 
sign  of  warm  weather. 

Hens  sitting  on  the  top  of  a  fence  or  gate  in  the  daytime  is 
a  sign  of  rain,  also  corn  leaves  curling  up  with  the  heat. 

A  Jtneteor  moving  somewhat  horizontally  and  in  a  northerly 
direction,  if  seen  in  the  autumn  or  winter,  is  a  sign  of  warm 
weather.  One  moving  in  an  opposite  direction  is  said  to  be 
going  after  cold  weather. 

An  item  by  Chief  David  Jack  was  to  the  effect  that  when 
the  Milky  Way  (Ca.,  uha'de'  udji''SQda',  "pathway,  starry") 
stands  north  and  south,  warm  weather  is  indicated.  Lying 
east  and  west  means  cold  weather. 

Others  by  the  same  informant  were: 

The  Pigeon  Dance  should  not  be  put  on  during  the  Maple 
Sugar  Festival,  or  it  will  cause  high  winds,  the  movement  of 
the  air  by  the  pigeons'  wings  being  considered  significant  (sym- 
pathetic magic). 

Pointing  at  a  storm  will  bring  bad  luck.  If  it  has  passed 
it  will  come  back.  Pointing  at  a  rainbow  is  also  unlucky,  as 
it  will  make  you  crooked.  The  Cayuga  word  for  rainbow  is 
diyu'"hyud. 

Jacob  Hess  (Ca.)  stated  that  there  is  thought  to  be  a  creature 
or  being  called  gatsgow§de"ta',  which  consists  of  a  pointed  por- 
tion, with  a  long  tail  of  hair  trailing  behind.     This  was  seen  at 


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one  time  stuck  into  a  tree.  The  tail  was  waving  and  the  trees 
were  uprooted  all  around  it.  This  creature  is  considered  to 
be  the  cause  of  high  winds,  and  cyclones. 

Many  of  the  foregoing  are  distinctly  Indian,  although  some 
European  borrowing  is  also  evident. 

David  Key  (On.),  an  old  hunter,  stated  that: 

Owls  calling  near  at  hand  in  the  bush  means  more  snow 
or  a  change  in  the  weather.  Lots  of  wood  should  be  gathered 
(as  the  conditions  may  not  be  favourable  for  gathering  it  later). 

A  flying-squirrel's  calling  near  a  man's  hunting-shanty 
means  snow  before  daylight. 

If  a  skunk's  or  a  coon's  feet  are  well  furred  there  will  be  a 
cold  winter. 

Thunder  in  the  early  spring,  according  to  S.  Anderson 
(Mo.),  is  a  sign  of  an  early  thaw  and  spring  weather. 

An  eclipse  (Ca.,  wawada"gwa"dQ'  aga'gwa"dQ'),  according 
to  Thomas  Smoke,  when  seen  towards  the  south  is  indicative 
of  early  cold  weather  in  the  autumn.  Seen  towards  the  east  it 
denotes  mild  weather  all  winter. 

John  Jamieson,  sen.  (On.)  gave  the  following  list: 

Gulls'  calling  along  a  lake  or  river  means  rain. 

A  robin  sitting  on  top  of  a  tree  and  calling  is  a  sign  of  rain. 
It  is  believed  that  he  can  see  it  coming  and  that  he  faces  in  the 
direction  from  which  it  will  come. 

If  a  deer's  melt  is  equally  thick  all  along  there  will  be  a 
steady,  cold  winter.  If  smaller  at  one  end  and  larger  at  the 
other,  it  will  be  warmer  and  colder  at  corresponding  parts  of 
the  season. 

Snow-fleas  indicate  soft  weather.  The  fleas  are  called 
odji'ng'wa'   or  swincdi'  dji'np'wa'    (On.,  soft  weather  fleas). 

A  screech-owl  (gwai'iw^)  calling  in  the  winter  indicates  that 
the  weather  will  be  milder. 

A  horse's  or  cow's  shaking  the  body  means  snow  or  rain. 

IROQUOIS    CALENDARS. 

Among  the  Iroquois  there  seems  to  have  been  a  general 
division  of  the  year  into  periods  corresponding  more  or  less 
closely  with  our  spring,  summer,  autumn,  and  winter,  besides 


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that  into  moons  or  months.  Loskiel  remarks  of  the  Delawares 
and  the  Iroquois  that  they  "divide  the  year  into  winter,  spring, 
summer  and  autumn,  and  each  quarter  into  months,  but  their 
calculations  are  very  imperfect,  nor  can  they  agree  when  to 
begin  the  new  year.  Most  of  them  begin  with  the  spring,  some 
with  any  other  quarter,  and  many,  who  are  acquainted  with 
the  Europeans,  begin  with  our  New  Year's  day."  His  inter- 
pretations of  the  names  given  to  the  months,  however,  differ 
from  those  which  follow."^ 

Among  some  eastern  woodland  tribes  there  was  a  division 
into  ten  moons  or  months.  One  of  the  Relations  remarks  that 
"the  greater  part  of  the  savages  admit  only  teji  moons."  This 
evidently  referred  more  particularly  to  the  Algonkins.  The 
Iroquois  apparently  agree  upon  twelve  divisions,''  the  influence 
of  environment  and  occupation  being  shown  by  the  names, 
which  refer  to  the  weather  or  the  natural  products  growing  or 
maturing  at  the  seasons  indicated. 

The  following  names  of  the  seasons  were  furnished  by 
Jacob  Hess  (Ca.),  Chief  David  Key  (Seneca  speaking  Onondaga), 
and  Paul  Jacobs  (Mo.  of  Caughnawaga) : 

Spring: 

gagwi'di  or  g^gwi'di  (Ca.)' 

gagwi'dini'  (Ca.,  "towards  spring") 

gogwide'ani"  (Mo.) 

diyijgwag^hQ'dt"  (On.) 

y^r^'ke-'^de  (Wyandot,  "it,  turn  over,  is  coming.") 

General  meaning:   It  is  time  to  plant  or  sow.* 

Summer: 

aggha'gi'  (Mo.)  \  „.^  ^  .  .     „ 

.  ,„r       J  ^\      r    It  turns  over,  is  commg 

a*way§"'r^  (Wyandot)     J 

gan^^na''gt'  (On.)  \  ,,..      ,  ,  ,, 

.       ^    ,      \„7       J  ^\  r     It  red  has  come 
way^nte'  'ye  (Wyandot)  J 


'  Loskiel,  Hist,  of  Mission,  p.  29. 
'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  VI,  p.  223. 
'A  similar  tefm,  kengSite  (kengwite)  is  given  in  the  French-Onondaga 
dictionary  of  the  17th  century,  edited  by  Shea. 

*  Analyses  of  the  terms  were  furnished  by  Mr.  C.  M.  Barbeau. 


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Autumn: 


agrtrd^  (Ca  )         1   ..^^^  j^^^^^  ^^^y, 
ag^tr'dqu'na  (Ca.)    J 


•"the red  colours  have  come' 


ganenage"ni'  (Ca.)' 

gana'ge'ani'  (Mo.) 

yan^Ma^'^ye'de  (Wyandot) 

gan^na''ge'hagwadt'  (On.) 
Winter : 

gu'sa'a'gt"  (On.) 

ogosera'gt'  (Mo.) 

go'sri'niuna  (Ca.)  ' 

yu'cre"de  (Wyandot) 

General  meaning:  The  cold  has  arrived. 
First-hand  versions  of  the  names  of  the  Iroquois  months 
were  obtained  from  the  late  Chief  Gibson,  Seneca  speaking 
Onondaga,  and  from  Chief  David  Skye,  Onondaga.  These 
two  are  substantially  in  agreement,  although  the  Seneca  and 
Onondaga  differ  as  to  the  beginning  of  the  Indian  new  year 
and  the  date  of  the  ceremonies  connected  therewith.  The  names 
recorded  are  compared  with  those  obtained  by  J.  N.  B.  Hewitt 
from  the  late  Chief  John  Buck  (On.),  those  given  in  the  French 
Onondaga  dictionary  (edited  by  Shea),  and  with  those  of  a 
missionary  calendar  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Stacey,  a  Caugh- 
nawaga  Iroquois. 

1.     disgu-'nas  principal  mid-winter  month;    begins  first  new 

moon    after   January  1  (Chief  Johii    Gibson,    Seneca, 

Brant  County  reserve), 
dis-go'-na,  days  great  or  longer  (Hewitt,  J.  N.  B.). 
anisgo'wa,  March  (from  calendar  in  possession  of  Stacey, 

Mohawk,  Caughnawaga). 
tichkona,  very  windy  month    (Shea's   ed.  of   a   French- 

Onondaga  dictionary  of  the  1 7th  century) . 
Meaning:^  the  sun  is  large  again. 


'  Shea  gives  kanenaque. 

'  From  analyses  furnished  by  Mr.  C.  M.  Barbeau,  division  of  anthropology 
Geological  Survey,  Canada. 


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2.  ganS'du'ha',  month  following  disgu'na";  said  by  informant 

to  mean  leaves  falling  into  the  water  from  such  trees 
as  the  oak  and  beach,  to  which  they  have  clung  during 
the  winter.     (Chief  Gibson):    February. 

ka-naq-to-ha,  somewhat  immersing  the  leaves  (Hewitt). 

onera'do'ga,  April  (Stacey's  calendar). 

ganerattoha,  April  (Shea). 

Meaning:  leaves  (fall)  down  into  the  water. 

3.  gana'du'gu"na,  great  falling  (of)  leaves  under  the  water 

now  (Chief  Gibson) :  March, 
ka-naq-to-go'-na,  thoroughly  immersing  the  leaves  (Hewitt), 
onera'dogcwa,  May  (Stacey's  calendar), 
ganerattogona,  May  (Shea). 
Meaning:  the  leaves  are  quite  or  much  immersed. 

4.  he'satas  bushes,  shrubs,  and  plants  begin  to  grow  again 

(Chief  Gibson) :  April, 
heq-sat-a,  slight  freezing  (Hewitt), 
ichakka,  June  (Shea). 
Meaning:  it  (the  plants  or  vegetation)  stands  up  again. 

5.  u'hiaigu-'na*,  or  hiaiha,  berries  begin  to  ripen  (Chief  Gibson) ; 

another  informant,  Peter  John  (On.),  gave  uhiaii'ha. 
hiaiigu-'na'.  May  (Chief  Skye). 
hya-i-ha',  fruits  begin  to  ripen  (Hewitt), 
ohiari'ha,  June  (Stacey's  calendar), 
hiarigdna,  July  (Shea). 
Meaning:  fruits  are  getting  ripe,  or  are  quite  ripe. 

6.  stsge'has  plants  growing  (Chief  Gibson) :  June, 
sts-ke-ha  (Hewitt). 

sesge'a',  August  (Stacey's  calendar). 
Chereske'ha,^  August  (Shea). 

7.  stsgegu-'na',  almost  everything  growing  up  and  bearing  some- 

thing (Chief  Gibson) :  July, 
sis-ke-go-'na  (Hewitt).  , 

sesgego'wa,  September  (Stacey's  calendar), 
chereske'gona,  September  (Shea). 


'  The  accent  following  e,  in  names  from  the  French-Onondaga  calendar, 
is  the  French  e  acute. 


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Meaning:  same  as  preceding  plus  suffix  meaning  greatly  or 
abundantly. 

8.  g^d^'a",  food  beginning  to  form  (Chief  Gibson):   August. 
k5-t§'-a'  (Hewitt). 

gant^'ha,  October  (Stacey). 
kentenha,  October  (Shea). 

Meaning:   the  field  falls  or  is  coming  down,  the  harvest 
is  gathered. 

9.  g4d5"^'a'gu"'na%   season  when  everything  is  bearing  food 

(Chief  Gibson) :  September. 

k^-t^'-go'^na,  (Hewitt). 

g^t%go'wa,  November  (Stacey). 

kentengSna,  November  (Shea). 

Meaning:   it  field  falls  down  much,  the  field  is  quite  har- 
vested. 

10.  djutu'weha',  beginning  of  cold  weather   (Chief  Gibson): 

October, 
tco-tho-we-ha,  again  it  is  somewhat  cold  (Hewitt), 
djodo'ra",  December  (Stacey). 
dziotore'ha,  December  (Shea). 
General  meaning:  again  it  is  cold  coming;  i.e.  the  cold  is 

coming  again. 

11.  djutuwegu-'na",  beginning  of  cold  weather  (Chief  Gibson): 

November, 
tco-tho-we-go'-ni,  again  it  is  greatly  cold  (Hewitt). 
djodor'go'Wa,  January  (Stacey). 
dziotoragona,  Moon  of  Great  cold  (Shea). 
Meaning:  again  it  is  cold  greatly. 

12.  disa',  (Chief  Gibson)^ p^         , 
disa",  (Chief  Skye)    J 
dts-^',  short  days  (Hewitt), 
ani'ska,  February  (Stacey). 
tichha,  windy  (?)  moon  (Shea). 
Probable  meaning:   the  sun  is  returning. 

PROTECTION   OF    CROPS. 

Among  the  most  persistent  corn-thieves  were  the  crow, 
ga"  ga'  (On.),  and  the  blackbird,  djukgii'sda'gagowa'ne  (On.). 


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These  were  either  frightened  away  or  captured  by  means  of  a 
noose  or  snare  attached  to  a  bent-over  sapling,  grains  of  corn 
being  scattered  about  as  a  bait. 

Later  on  there  were  the  raccoon,  djo'a'gak  (On.) ;  and  the 
woodchuck,  una"gGnt,  attacking  the  fields  along  the  borders  of 
woods  and  clearings;  or  the  muskrat,  hanu''gie',  who  visits  the 
corn-patches  lying  along  rivers  and  creeks.  Many  contrivances 
were  designed  for  the  capture  of  these,  all  based  upon  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  wood-craft.  The  raccoon's  habit  of  reaching  with 
his  forefeet  suggested  a  small  opening  with  some  attractive  bait 
at  the  farther  end,  a  number  of  closely  converging  points  pre- 
venting withdrawal.  Deadfalls,  with  or  without  bait,  were  also 
used  effectively.* 

When  the  corn  was  ripe  and  suspended  outside  upon  poles 
to  dry,  it  was  often  stolen  by  jays  and  crows.  These  were 
caught  by  means  of  a  slab  of  bark  of  suitable  length  and  width, 
with  holes  cut  along  the  middle  to  admit  the  head.  Loops  or 
nooses  of  basswood  inner  bark  were  arranged  around  these 
openings  and  the  contrivance  was  placed  on  top  of  the  racks 
of  corn.  The  rest  of  the  grain  was  covered  and  the  birds,  in 
reaching  for  it  through  the  holes  in  the  bark,  became  entangled  in 
the  nooses.^ 

A  dead  crow  or  jay,  di''di  (On.),  suspended  by  the  legs  near 
a  corn-crib  or  in  a  cornfield,  furnished  an  example  to  evil-doers.  A 
custom  still  followed  is  to  take  a  young  crow  and  hang  it  up 
by  the  legs  alive. 

A  device  employed  for  frightening  birds  was  a  cylindrical 
whistle,  suspended  from  a  pole.  This  was  operated  upon  by 
the  wind  and  is  said  to  have  been  suggested  by  an  old  man  who 
discovered  that  the  wind  made  a  noise  upon  his  flute  when  he 
hung  it  outside.  The  whistles  were  formerly  made  of  wooden 
cylinders,  closed  at  one  end.  Bottles  are  often  used  for  the 
purpose  now.  An  Onondaga  name  for  the  whistle  is  wat4*doya"a' 
(things  planted,  to  scare  anything  from).' 


1  John  Jamiesofl,  jun.  (Ca.).     Various  types  of  Iroquois  traps  will  be  de- 
scribed in  detail  in  a  later  paper  of  this  series. 
'  Chief  Gibson  and  others. 
'  John  Jamieson,  jun.  (Ca.). 


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END   OF   SEASON    CEREMONY. 

At  the  end  of  the  season  there  is  another  meeting  or  session 
of  the  OtQwi^zas,  at  which  the  procedure  is  much  the  same  as 
previously  outHned,  except  that  the  peach-stone  game  is  not 
played.  This  is  the  season  when  the  corn  is  ready  to  store 
away  and  thanks  must  again  be  given  for  food.  This  ceremony 
is  called  %yQta'gwaie"ga'  (gathering  corn  bread).  Nearly  every 
family  prepares  for  this  by  baking  a  batch  of  old-fashioned  corn 
bread.  This  is  brought  to  the  longhouse.  A  speaker  is  again 
appointed  and  addresses  the  people,  congratulating  them  on 
the  success  of  their  crop  or  harvest.  Thanks  are  also  given 
to  the  Great  Spirit  that  the  people  have  been  well  supplied. 
Two  men  are  then  appointed  to  perform  the  Great  Feather 
Dance.  After  this  there  is  another  dance  for  females  only, 
called  owesga'nii'  (to  thank  the  Great  Mother  and  Three  Sisters). 
This  ends  what  Chief  Gibson  referred  to  as  "the  first  part  of  the 
programme." 

The  second  part  is  the  ga'datshc'da',  sometimes  rendered 
as  the  "Trotting  Dance."  All  take  part  in  this,  which  is  also  a 
giving  of  thanks  to  the  Great  Mother  and  Three  Sisters. 

The  third  part  is  participated  in  by  women  only.  'It  is 
also  called  owesga'nii',  and  is  the  second  dance  in  which  the 
women  alone  take  part,  being  thus  privileged,  as  Chief  Gibson 
remarked,  on  account  of  the  nature  of  the  proceedings. 

The  fourth  part  is  called  deygdaden^'tcqus  (joining  their 
hands,  or  union). ^  All  join  hands  in  this  and  dance.  The  women 
have  the  "privilege"  of  joining  hands  with  the  men.  This  is 
said  to  typify  the  mixing  or  joining  of  the  seeds  in  the  hills  of 
corn.  On  the  other  hand,  the  women  may  remain  together. 
Children  also  take  part  in  this  dance.  Other  dances  may  also 
be  performed. 

When  through  with  this  portion  of  the  proceedings,  the  people 
are  addressed  by  the  speaker,  who  thanks  them  and  the  Creator 
that  they  have  got  through  with  their  duty.  The  speaker  then 
reminds  them  of  the  Midwinter  Festival,  which  comes  in  the 


'  This  is  sometimes  translated  as  the  Snake  Dance. 


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month  of  Disgu-'na",  on  the  fifth  day  of  the  new  moon.  He  also 
asks  those  who  are  going  into  the  forest  to  hunt,  or  on  any 
similar  expedition,  to  remember  to  return  by  this  date. 

HARVESTING   AND   STORAGE. 

The  most  ancient  method  of  harvesting  consisted  merely 
in  gathering  the  ripened  ears  from  the  standing  corn,  the  stalks 
being  allowed  to  remain  as  already  noted,  until  the  next  season's 
operations  necessitated  their  removal.  The  ears  were  plucked, 
usually  with  the  right  hand,  and  thrown  backward  over  the  same 
shoulder  into  the  gathering  basket,  e^nahan?'gwi''ta'  (On.) 
or  egeh^da''kwa',  which  was  suspended  from  the  back  by  a 
burden  strap  (Plate  XXII,  fig.  e).  The  basket  was  emptied 
by  bringing  it  forward  over  the  head  and  dropping  it  bottom 
upward  upon  the  pile.^  The  gathering  basket  is  sometimes 
emptied  into  a  still  larger  basket  which  is  provided  with  handles 
on  opposite,  sides  so  that  it  can  be  carried  by  two  persons. 

The  same  informant  states  that  a  hut  or  house  of  corn- 
stalks was  formerly  constructed  in  the  field  as  a  shelter  for  the 
huskers.     This  was  made  like  the  old-style  bark  house  (Plate  IV). 

A  very  common  method  at  present  is  to  tie  the  stalks,  with 
the  ears  attached,  into  large  bundles,  sometimes  with  strings 
of  hickory  bark.  These  are  allowed  to  stand  in  the  field  until 
the  corn  dries  slightly,  after  which  the  ears  are  plucked  and 
husked. 

The  old  style  of  husking  was  to  sit  upon  the  ground  with 
the  legs  straight,  or  with  one  knee  slightly  elevated.  Four 
husks  were  usually  left  upon  each  ear  for  braiding,  the  rest  were 
removed  and  carefully  laid  aside  for  use  in  mat-making,  etc. 
Those  employed  in  braiding  knelt  on  one  knee  (Plate  V).  An 
ear  with  the  husks  pulled  back  for  this  purpose  is  called  in  Onon- 
daga ganu'yu'nda'  or  waiinp'gw^'yo'gaa',  and  with  the  husks 
entirely  removed,  wa'inuwi'iyak  or  udnoya''gt".  The  latter 
name  is  also  applied  to  stunted  ears  or  nubbins,  which  are  not 
made  into  strings,  but  are  merely  thrown  upon  the  floor  to  dry.* 


*  Peter  John  (On.)  and  others. 
2  Peter  John. 


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A  string  of  corn  is  called  ust5"saa'  (On.),  and  is  usually 
five  spans  (hwiks  niyuw?"gage")  in  length. 

The  husks  are  torn  apart  by  means  of  a  husking  pin  of 
hickory  or  other  hardwood,  though  bone  is  sometimes  used 
(Plate  VI,  figs,  a  and  b).  A  name  used  for  this  implement  is 
enuiya'kta'  ga'wa'sta'  (On.).  It  is  possible  that  many  of  the 
stout  awl-like  bone  implements,  which  are  found  on  ancient 
village  sites,  were  used  for  this  purpose.  The  bones  of  the  bear 
seem  to  have  been  a  popular  material,  and  the  young  people 
sometimes  practised  a  species  of  divination  by  bending  these 
articles  slightly,  an  easily  broken  pin  indicating  a  short  life. 
Chief  Gibson  had  frequently  seen  husking-pins  made  from  the 
ribs  of  animals,  such  as  the  deer.  The  husking-pins  employed 
at  present  have  a  groove  around  the  middle,  affording  attach- 
ment to  a  leather  loop,  which  is  slipped  over  the  middle  finger. 
The  pin  is  grasped  in  the  palm,  then  stuck,  with  a  vigorous 
sweep,  into  the  leafy  covering,  the  thumb  closed  down  tightly 
and  the  husks  torn  back  in  preparation  for  braiding. 

The  husking  bee,  hadinowi'yake'  (removing  all  the  husks), 
gave  rise  to  many  social  gatherings  from  house  to  house,  at  which 
corn  soup  was  distributed  liberally  and  where  the  proceedings 
were  often  enlivened  with  dancing  or  story-telling.  A  game 
formerly  played  on  such  occasions  consisted  in  piling  up  short 
pieces  of  cornstalk  into  a  house-like  structure  and  endeavouring 
to  flip  these  away  one  at  a  time  without  knocking  down  the  others.* 

An  interesting  description  is  given  by  Sagard  of  Huron 
harvesting:  "The  grain  ripens  in  four  months,  and  in  certain 
places  in  three;  afterwards  they  pluck  it,  tie  it  by  the  husks  or 
leaves,  which  are  pulled  back,  in  this  manner  forming  bundles 
or  strings,  which  they  suspend  the  length  of  the  cabins,  from 
top  to  bottom,  on  poles  which  they  place  in  the  form  of  racks, 
descending  to  the  outer  edge  of  the  sleeping  platforms,  and  all 
so  neatly  done  that  they  seem  to  be  tapestries  or  curtains  stretched 
along  the  cabins,  and  the  grain  being  thoroughly  dried  and 
ready  for  storing  away,  the  women  and  girls  shell  it,  clean  it, 
and  place  it  in  their  great  vats  (cuves)  or  casks  (tonnes)  made 


'  David  Jack,  Ca. 


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for  this  purpose  and  placed  in  their  porches  or  in  some  corner 
of  the  cabin. "1 

The  corn  crib,  ga'»he-'da'^  is  a  favourite  storage  device 
among  the  Iroquois,  although  the  strings  of  corn  are  sometimes 
suspended  in  the  garret'  or  other  parts  of  the  house.  Poles 
are  placed  across,  about  2|  feet  apart,  and  the  strings  thrown 
oveir  these.  The  cribs  at  present  are  usually  constructed 
of  boards,  with  shingled  roofs  (Plates  VII,  VIII).  In  many 
cases  a  tin  pan  is  inverted  over  each  of  the  corner  posts  upon 
which  the  building  is  placed,  to  prevent  the  mice  and  squirrels 
from  ascending.  A  few  are  made  of  poles,  usually  with  a  simple 
"lean-to"  roof  (Plate  IX).  The  cobs  are  either  thrown  loosely 
into  these,  or  the  braids  thrown  over  poles  which  are  arranged 
inside. 

A  method  of  divination,  according  to  John  Jamieson,  jun., 
was  formerly  practised  as  follows:  a  cob  of  corn  was  placed 
in  the  edge  of  the  fire  by  a  warrior  who  was  about  to  go  to  war. 
After  an  hour  or  so  he  would  return.  If  the  cob,  in  the  mean- 
time, had  been  entirely  consumed,  it  signified  that  he  would  be 
killed  in  battle. 

A  quite  different  style  of  crib  or  storage  receptacle  from 
those  described  was  stated  by  Chief  Gibson  to  have  been  used 
within  his  recollection.  This  was  round  and  was  sometimes 
made  higher  than  the  ordinary  crib.  A  suggestion  of  the  shape 
is  contained  in  the  name,  ga'na'gu'uda',  which  signifies  "barrel 
set."  It  was  made  by  taking  small  posts,  up  to  6  inches  in 
diameter,  for  the  wall.  A  hole  was  next  dug  about  1| 
feet  deep  and  as  large  around  as  required.  The  posts  were 
set  closely  around  the  circumference  of  the  hole,  the  dirt  thrown 
in  up  to  the  level  of  the  ground  and  packed  down  solidly.  This 
barrel-shaped  receptacle  was  filkd  with  the  corn  in  the  cob  and 
poles  were  laid  straight  across  the  top.  Over  these  were  placed 
flat  pieces  of  elm  bark,  which  were  removed  from  the  tree  in  the 
spring  and  seasoned  during  the  summer.     Another  pole  was 


'  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  pp.  93,  94. 

'  Peter  John,  Onondaga,  ^ives  enahaiyenda''kwa'  as  a  better  name. 

'  Storage  in  garrets  is  mentioned  by  both  Cartier  and  Champlain. 


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placed  on  top  of  the  bark  and  the  ends  tied  down  with  strips 
of  basswood  inner  bark. 

Le  Jeune  mentions  the  "granaries  or  chests  of  corn"  in 
use  among  the  Hurons.^  These  were  evidently  large  box  or 
barrel-like  vessels  which  were  placed  inside  the  cabins.  Cham- 
plain  remarks,  with  regard  to  the  same  nation,  that  "at  the  end 
X)i  these  cabins  is  a  space  where  they  keep  their  corn,  which 
they  place  in  large  casks,  made  of  the  bark  of  trees."^  Both 
elm  and  birchbark  were  used  for  such  utensils,  as  well  as  for 
many  other  household  purposes.  Remains  of  birchbark  boxes 
or  storage  receptacles  have  been  found  on  Huron  and  other 
village  sites.' 

The  size  of  some  of  these  casks  or  bins  may  be  gathered 
from  an  item  in  the  Relations,  which  mentions  the  possession 
by  a  Huron  of  two  bins  which  held  at  least  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty  bushels.  Lafitau,  in  speaking  of  the  in- 
terior household  arrangements  of  the  Iroquois  and  the  construc- 
tion of  sleeping  platforms,  remarks  that  "the  barks  which  enclose 
the  platforms  at  the  top  and  which  form  the  canopy  of  the  bed, 
take  the  place  of  a  wardrobe  or  pantry,  where  they  place,  in 
view  of  everybody,  their  dishes  and  utensils.  Between  the 
platforms  are  placed  great  boxes  (caisses)  of  bark,  in  the  form 
of  casks  (tonnes)  and  five  or  six  feet  high,  where  they  place 
their  corn  when  it  is  shelled."* 

The  construction  of  storage  pits  was  evidently  quite  com- 
mon among  the  Iroquois,  for  caches  while  travelling,  to  guard 
against  the  capture  of  their  supplies  by  enemies,  and  for  the 
preservation  of  such  garden  products  as  squashes,  pumpkins, 
etc.     Lafitau,  in  describing  this  custom,  states  that  "the  Indian 

women  make underground  storage  places  in  their 

fields,  in  which  to  place  their  squashes  (citrouilles)  and  other 
fruits,  which  can  only  in  this  way  be  protected  from  the  severity 


'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XVII,  p.  29. 
'  Champlain,  Voyages,  Laverdi^res  ed.,  p.  562. 

•  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XVII,  p.  271,  explanatory 
note  9. 

*  Lafitau,  Moeurs  des  Sauvages  Ameriguains,  pt.  II,  p.  13. 

Cf.  Champlain,  Voyages,  Prince  Soc.  ed.,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  160,  161. 


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of  the  winter.  These  are  great  holes  in  the  ground,  four  or 
five  feet  deep,  lined  with  pieces  of  bark  inside  and  covered  over 
with  earth. 

"As  to  the  corn,  instead  of  burying  it,  except  in  case  of 
necessity,  they  dry  it  on  long  poles,  and  upon  the  porches  or 
exterior  vestibules  of  the  cabins.  At  tsonnontouann  they  make 
granaries  of  bark  in  the  form  of  towers,  on  high  ground,  and  they 
pierce  the  bark  on  all  sides,  to  allow  the  air  to  penetrate  and 
prevent  the  grain  from  moulding."  The  corn  was  first  dried 
in  the  cabins  "on  poles  running  across,  which  are  arranged  around 
the  fire,  and  which  rest  upon  the  posts  which  support  the  struc- 
ture; the  smoke  which  is  produced  day  and  night  blackens  the 
grain  a  little  after  a  while,  but  removes  any  moisture  which 
might  spoil  it.  In  winter,  when  it  is  thoroughly  dry,  they  shell 
it,  and  put  it  into  the  great  casks  of  bark.  .  .  and  they  take 
from  these  as  required.  They  leave  in  the  smoke  only  that 
which  they  reserve  for  seed,  and  which  they  shell  only  when  it 
is  time  for  planting."* 

Morgan  makes  the  following  reference  to  granaries  and 
storage  pits:  "The  Iroquois  were  accustomed  to  bury  their 
surplus  corn  and  also  their  charred  green  corn  in  caches,  in  which 
the  former  would  preserve  uninjured  through  the  year,  and  the 
latter  for  a  much  longer  period.  They  excavated  a  pit,  made  a 
bark  bottom  and  sides,  and  having  deposited  their  corn  within 
it,  a  bark  roof,  water  tight,  was  constructed  over  it,  and  the 
whole  covered  with  earth.  Pits  of  charred  corn  are  still  found 
near  their  ancient  settlements."^ 

The  storage  of  corn  in  pits  is  no  longer  practised,  though 
potatoes,  carrots,  and  other  vegetables,  also  squashes  and  pump- 
kins, are  frequently  stored  in  this  way  (Plate  X).  The  pits 
are  made  by  digging  rather  large  holes,  lining  these  with  various 
materials,  such  as  straw  or  boards,  and  finally  covering  them 
over  with  earth  to  a  depth  which  will  exclude  the  frost.     In 


*  Lafitau,  Maeurs  des  Sauvages  Ameriquains,  vol.  II,  pp.  79,  80. 

*  Morgan,  League  of  the  Iroquois,  p.  311. 

Hennepin,  A  New  Discovery,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  I,  p.  46,  states 
of  the  Seneca  that  they  store  their  corn  "into  Caves  digged  in  the  Earth, 
and  cover'd  after  such  a  manner,  that  no  Rain  can  come  at  it." 


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the  absence  of  oth^r  materials,  hemlock  boughs  may  be  used, 
sometimes  with  the  addition  of  a  layer  of  bark.  Onondaga 
informants  at  Grand  River  reserve  stated  that  several  of  the  larger 
species  of  carex  were  formerly  used,  to  which  the  general  name 
of  uhee"gwa'  is  given,  also  meadow  foxtail  or  ud§''?'.'  Many 
of  the  pits  found  in  the  Iroquois  country  contain  both  charred 
grain  and  portions  of  the  carbonized  lining  of  grass  or  hemlock 
boughs.  For  squashes,  etc.,  the  leaves  of  the  sumac,  utgo''da', 
are  said  to  answer  very  well.  A  general  name  given  for  pit  is 
watsha'dp'.  ,  A  potato  pit  is  called  ononu"gwa'  watsha'dg'. 

Champlain  is  probably  the  first  explorer  to  describe  the 
pit  method  of  storage,  which  he  observed  among  some  of  the 
eastern  Algonkin.  Trenches  were  excavated  to  a  depth  of 
5  or  6  feet  on  a  dry,  sandy  slope  and  the  grain,  in  grass 
sacks,  covered  over  3  or  4  feet  deep  with  sand.''  Kalm, 
with  reference  to  eastern  North  America,  remarks  that  "they 
dug  these  holes  seldom  deeper  than  a  fathom,  and  often  not  so 
deep;  at  the  bottom  and  on  the  sides  they  put  broad  pieces  of 
bark.  The  Andropogon  bicorne  .  .  .  supplies  the  want  of 
bark;  the  ears  of  maize  are  then  thrown  into  the  hole  and  covered 
to  a  considerable  thickness  with  the  same  grass,  and  the  whole 
is  again  covered  by  a  sufficient  quantity  of  earth."' 

ABNORMAL   EARS.* 

Abnormal  ears  of  various  kinds  are  frequently  found  and 
are  usually  considered  significant.' 

A  smutty  ear  is  called  in  Onondaga  odjiigw4:''daa',  which 
means  a  rotten  body.  A  Seneca  name  obtained  was  utg^s  one'g', 
which  signifies  rotten  corn. 

A  fasciated  ear,  sometimes  more  or  less  palmate,  with 
branches  resembling  fingers,  is  called  in  Onondaga  o''nia'  un§'ha', 
or  hand  corn. 


'  Peter  John,  John  Jamieson,  and  others. 

» Pinkerton,  Voyages  and  Travels,  vol.  12,  p.  258.  "The  Indians  thrash 
it  as  they  gather  it.  They  dry  it  well  on  matts  in  the  sun,  and  bury  it  in  holes 
in  the  ground,  lined  with  moss  or  matts,  which  are  their  barns." 

'  Kahn's  Travels,  vol.  II,  p.  115. 

*  Peter  John  and  others. 

'  See  also  Parker,  Bulletin  144,  New  York  State  Museum,  p.  33. 


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A  multiple  ear,  taking  the  form  of  a  large  ear  with  several 
smaller  ones  springing  from  it,  indicates  that  a  girl  will  have 
many  children.  The  rest  of  the  huskers  say  "uiaga''di'"  (On.), 
or  "lots  of  young  ones." 

A  bifurcated  ear,  having  two  or  three  rows  on  opposite 
sides  and  none  between,  is  o'na''sa',  or  tongue,  in  Onondaga. 
In  Mohawk  this  is  called  yuha'dt'  o'nasti',  or  road  corn.  A  girl 
must  not  eat  this,  otherwise  an  enemy  would  find  the  way  to 
her  without  fail.  When  any  one  discovers  such  an  ear,  the 
others  all  contribute  an  ear  to  his  or  her  pile  of  husked  corn. 

A  nubbin,  or  short  ear,  is  called  udnoia''gi',  which  means 
that  the  husks  have  all  been  removed.  The  ear  is  considered 
unfit  for  braiding  and  is  merely  thrown  on  the  floor  to  dry. 

A  cob  with  no  corn  on  it  is  called  odji'sw^'  (On.),  a  name 
indicating  simply  the  absence  of  kernels. 

When  any  of  the  huskers  finds  a  stray  red  or  coloured  ear, 
the  others  also  contribute  to  his  or  her  pile.  The  name  applied 
to  such  an  ear  is  deyudji'do"ye'  (On.),  which  is  descriptive  of 
the  variegated  colouring. 

Sometimes  a  podded  grain  is  found  on  an  ordinary  ear. 
A  grain  of  this  kind  is  immediately  swallowed  as  a  means  of 
securing  prosperity  in  any  enterprise,  such  as  marriage  or  hunt- 
ing. 

When  corn  hybridizes  from  being  too  near  another  variety, 
the  hybrid  ears  are  called  odinada''h4'  on^'ha'  (On.),  or  visitor 
corn. 

A  corn  plant  producing  white  leaves  is  called  the  old  one  or 
the  grandmother  of  the  lot,  eti'so'da'  (On.). 

It  was  remarked  by  David  Jack  that  in  his  younger  days 
when  a  husking  bee  was  held,  the  workers  were  always  on  the 
look-out  for  abnormal  ears.  A  red  ear  entitled  the  finder  to 
one  ear  from  each  of  the  others;  an  ear  with  one  or  more  rows 
missing,  to  two  ears  all  around;  an  ear  with  no  corn  at  all  on 
it,  to  one  ear;  a  fasciated  ear,  to  five  ears.  A  kind  of  divination 
with  corn  ears,-  according  to  John  Jamieson,  jun.,  and  John  Echo, 
is  sometimes  practised  as  follows:  a  few  grains  are  placed  inside 
a  weasel-skin,  the  whole  is  placed  in  water  over  night,  then 
planted,  some  native  tobacco  being  placed  with  it  and  an  in- 


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vocation  being  made  asking  for  power  for  the  medicine  which 
is  to  be  made  in  this  way  and  stating  what  it  is  wanted  for. 
When  the  corn  grows  and  forms  ears,  one  of  these  is  taken, 
preferably  one  which  forms  abnormally  among  the  anthers  or 
parts  of  the  tassel  at  the  end  of  the  stalk.  This  ear  is  then  used 
by  the  person  (who  is  usually  a  medicine-man  or  woman)  for 
divining  the  appropriate  remedies  in  cases  of  sickness.  To 
do  this,  some  article  of  clothing  belonging  to  the  sick  person 
is  wrapped  about  the  ear  of  corn,  the  whole  being  placed  under 
the  medicine-man's  pillow  to  dream  upon. 

A  cob  of  the  kind  just  described  may  also  be  kept  for  luck 
in  hunting,  or  may  be  simply  preserved  for  future  use  in  divina- 
tion. The  idea  of  sympathetic  magic  is  involved  in  the  fore- 
going procedure,  the  weasel  being  considered  to  have  a  "good 
head." 

COOKERY  AND  EATING  CUSTOMS. 

EATING   CUSTOMS. 

One  regular  meal  per  day  seems  to  have  been  the  rule, 
although  early  writers  record  the  preparation  of  two  meals 
among  the  Huron. ^  An  Onondaga  informant  remembers  when 
some  of  the  older  people  had  no  regular  meal-time.  Members 
of  the  family  ate  whenever  they  felt  like  it.  A  big  bowl  of  soup, 
however,  was  cooked  in  the  morning.  They  usually  worked 
for  a  while,  then  came  in  and  ate  the  soup  or  corn  bread.*  Break- 
fast is  called  in  Onondaga  hg.ige"djikga'kwa',  or  "morning  meal." 
A  meal  partaken  of  in  the  evening  is  oga'sa'ga'kwa'.  Now- 
adays dinner,  g^ihia'h^ga'kwa',  is  added. 

The  meal  is  usually  announced  by  the  woman  of  the  house, 
who  calls,  "hauo'ne,  sedeko'nia'  (On.),"  or  "all  right,  come  and 
eat."  The  men,  as  a  rule,  are  helped  first,  the  women  and  chil- 
dren coming  after.  The  serving  in  former  times  was  done 
directly  from  the  pot  into  bark  or  wooden  dishes,  chunks  of 


'■  Champlain,  Voyages,  vol.  Ill,  p.  164. 

Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  VIII,  p.  111. 
*  This  item  is  confirmed  by  Morgan,  Houses  and  House  Life  of  the  American 
Aborigines,  p.  99. 

Informants:  Peter  John,  Jairus  Pierce,  and  others. 


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meat  being,  handed  or  tossed  to  those  desiring  a  portion.  Some 
of  the  older  people  at  Onondaga  Castle  and  elsewhere  remember 
when  meals  were  served  in  this  way.  Wooden  spoons  or  ladles, 
some  of  considerable  size,  were  used  for  dipping  and  eating 
liquid  foods.  These  are  mentioned  frequently  by  early  histo- 
rians, also  the  fact  that  each  guest,  upon  being  invited  to  a  feast, 
was  expected  to  bring  his  own  dish  and  spoon.  Wooden  eating 
spoons  are  seldom  used  nowadays,  although  the  old-fashioned 
dipping  ladles  may  sometimes  be  seen  at  longhouse  ceremonies. 

Each  one  ate  in  silence,  either  sitting  or  standing,  the  only 
convenience  being  the  bare  ground  or  the  edge  of  the  sleeping 
platform.  It  is  at  present  considered  etiquette  for  a  guest,  in 
finishing,  to  say  "nia'w^"  (On.),  or  "thanks."  To  this  the  host 
replies,  "niu","  "It  is  well."  Children  are  told  that  a  failure 
to  say  nia'w^  or  thank  you  will  give  them  a  stomach-ache.  Any 
one  coming  in  at  meal-time  is  invited  to  eat  and  is  expected  as  a 
matter  of  etiquette  to  take  something. 

A  joke  or  witticism  is  sometimes  made  at  the  expense  of  the 
women  when  a  meal  is  unduly  delayed.  This  is  to  the  effect 
that  a  number  of  people  were  seen  coming  along  the  road  re- 
duced to  skeletons,  or  "all  bones."  The  explanation  is  that 
this  was  caused  by  starvation,  to  which  the  narrators  were  also 
exposed  by  having  to  wait  so  long  for  dinner  or  supper. 

Cleanliness,  from  a  European  point  of  view,  was  not  always 
a  desideratum  in  earlier  times.  Graphic  descriptions  are  fur- 
nished by  the  missionaries  of  the  incrustation  of  food  inside  the 
pots  and  the  general  carelessness  in  cooking.  Fresh  meat 
became  coated  with  hairs  and  dirt.  The  dogs  fought  for  a  share 
and  constant  watchfulness  was  necessitated  to  prevent  one's 
food  from  being  snatched  away.  Grease  was  wiped  upon  the 
clothing,  the  hair,  or  upon  the  dogs.  Informants  at  Grand 
River,  Tonawanda,  and  elsewhere  mentioned  the  use  of  rotten 
pine  or  chestnut  for  the  absorption  of  grease  or  perspiration, 
or  for  dusting  babies.*  This  is  made  into  a  fine  dark  red  powder. 
A  Mohawk  name  for  the  material  is  ohcsa'. 

A  belief  noted  at  Oneidatown,  Ontario,  is  that  food  dropped 
during  a  meal  must  not  be  picked  up,  as  this  is  for  the  dead. 

1  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  I,  p.  28S;  also  vol.  V,  p.  103. 


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If  picked  up,  it  must  be  laid  to  one  side.^  The  functions  of  the 
U'gi'we  society,  in  fact,  are  based  upon  the  belief  that  the  dead 
suffer  from  hunger  and  require  satisfaction  at  intervals.  Neglect 
in  this  respect  is  followed  by  continued  visitations  and  ultimate 
illness. 

Smoking  followed  eating,  perhaps  more  especially  on  oc- 
casions of  ceremony.'' 

Terms  Used  in  Connexion  with  Eating.* 

Good  appetite,  ekwanp'waks. 
I  am  hungry,  aksis. 
Glutton,  sadetcl'  or  sas4"gw4. 
I  eat,  waga'deko'nia'. 
You  eat,  wa'sadeko'nia'. 
He  eats,  hodekoni'. 
She  eats,  godeko'ni'. 
Oven,  unta'go'ndakwa'gi". 
Bread-pan,  unta'go'ndakwa'. 

HOUSEHOLD    CONVENIENCES. 

A  characteristic  feature  of  early  Iroquois  architecture  was 
the  long  communal  cabin,  constructed  usually  of  elm  bark  and 
accomodating  a  number  of  families.  Champlain  gives  the 
following  general  description:  "Their  cabins  are  in  the  shape 
of  tunnels  or  arbors,  and  are  covered  with  the  bark  of  trees. 
They  are  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  fathoms  long,  more  or  less, 
and  six  wide,  having  a  passageway  through  the  middle  from 
ten  to  twelve  feet  wide,  which  extends  from  one  end  to  the  other. 
On  the  two  sides  there  is  a  kind  of  bench,  four  feet  high,  where 
they  sleep  in  the  summer,  in  order  to  avoid  the  annoyance  of 
the  fleas.  .  .  In  winter  they  sleep  on  the  ground  on  mats 
near  the  fire.  .  .  .  They  lay  up  a  stock  of  dry  wood,  with 
which  they  fill  their  cabins,  to  burn  in  winter.  At  the  extremity 
of  the  cabins  there  is  a  space,  where  they  preserve  their  Indian 


'Mrs.  David  Williams. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXVII,  p.  249. 

'  These  are  in  Onondaga. 


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corn,  which  they  put  into  great  casks  made  of  the  bark  of  trees. 
They  have  pieces  of  wood  suspended,  on  which  they  put  their 
clothes,  provisions,  and  other  things,  for  fear  of  the  mice,  of 
which  there  are  great  numbers.  In  one  of  these  cabins  there 
may  be  twelve  fires,  and  twenty-four  families.  It  smokes 
excessively,  from  which  it  follows  that  many  receive  serious 
injury  to  the  eyes.  .  .  .  There  is  no  window  nor  any  opening, 
except  that  in  the  upper  part  of  their  cabins  for  the  smoke  to 
dscape."^  Sagard,  who  gives  a  similar  description,  refers  to  the 
porches  which  were  constructed  at  either  end  of  the  cabins,  and 
which  served  for  the  storage  of  corn,  etc.  Very  few  aboriginal 
features  are  seen  in  present-day  houses  (Plate  XI),  though  poles 
are  still  suspended  above  the  fire  for  drying  clothing  and  various 
articles  of  food.^ 

GENERAL   CHARACTERISTICS. 

The  geneiBl  improvidence  ascribed  to  many  of  the  eastern 
tribes  is  evidently  inapplicable  to  the  Iroquois  proper,  though  all 
Iroquoian  tribes  were  possibly  not  so  provident.  Lafitau,  for 
instance,  remarks  of  the  Hurons  that  "necessity,  to  which  they 
are  often  reduced  by  this  sort  of  liberality,  obliges  them  to  eat 
everything  and  to  enjoy  the  fare.  As,  in  their  times  of  plenty, 
they  allow  no  time  for  meat  to  spoil,  placing  it  still  alive  in 
the  pot,  or  roasting  and  turning  it  on  little  spits  of  wood,  one 
end  of  which  they  stick  in  the  ground,  so  they  do  not  hesitate 
to  eat  stinking  and  almost  rotten  meat  when  they  have  no  other. 
They  never  skim  the  pot,  in  order  to  lose  nothing.  They  cook 
frogs  whole  and  swallow  them  without  disgust.  They  dry  the 
intestines  of  deer  without  cleaning  them  and  find  them  as  tasty 
as  we  find  woodcock.  .  .  They  have  not  abandoned  the 
acorn.  .  They  gather  beech-nuts  with  care  and  crush  them. 
They  eat  potatoes  with  pleasure,  various  insipid  roots,  and  all 
sorts  of  wild  and  bitter  fruits;  they  give  these  no  time  to  ripen 


>  Champlain,  Prince  Society  ed.,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  160,  161. 

"  Sagard  says:  "In  the  centre  of  their  dwellings  there  are  two  great  poles 
suspended,  which  they  call  ouaronta,  from  which  they  hang  their  pot-hooks, 
their  clothing,  provisions  and  other  things  to  protect  them  from  mice,  as  well 
as  to  dry  them." — Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  83. 


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and  to  grow,  for  fear  that  others  might  gather  them  first.  In 
order  the  better  to  despoil  a  tree  they  cut  it  down  at  the  root, 
without  worrying  about  the  advantages  they  might  derive  in 
succeeding  years.  "^ 

METHODS   OF  FIRE-MAKING. 

A  most  important  factor  in  food  preparation  was  the  pro- 
duction of  fire.  In  more  ancient  times  this  was  produced  by 
friction.  Among  the  methods  in  vogue  among  the  Iroquois 
were: 

Flint  and  pyrites.'' 

A  fire-drill  consisting  of  a  simple  spindle  twirled  between 

the  hands. 
The  pump  drill,  in  which  the  spindle  was  given  momentum 

by  means  of  a  spindle-whorl  of  wood. 
The  bow  drill,  in  which  the  spindle  was  operated  by  a  bow, 
the  string  of  which  was  twisted  once  around  the  spindle 
(Plate  XII). 
The  fire  plow,  in  which  the  end  of  a  stick  was  rubbed  vigor- 
ously back  and  forth  in  a  groove. 
The  fire  saw,  in  which  one  stick  was  rubbed  across  another. 
Of  these,  the  flint  and  pyrites,  pump  drill,  bow  drill,  fire 
plow,  and  fire  saw  are  said  to  have  been  used  within  the  recol- 
lection of  some  of  the  older  people.     The  fact  of  such  a  variety 
of  methods  being  found  in  use  contemporaneously    evidently 
denotes  accultural  influences.     The  pump  drill  was  quite  com- 
monly employed  in  the  production  of  "new  fire"  at  the  New 
Year  Festival,  also  in  the  Sun  Ceremony.'    This  implement 


'  Lafitau,  Moeurs  des  Sauvages,  pt.  II,  pp.  91,  92. 
Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXIII,  pp.  63,  65. 

'  Le  Jeune,  in  describing  the  fire-making  methods  of  the  Montagnais, 
states  that  "they  strike  together  two  metallic  stones.  ...  in  place 
of  matches,  they  use  a  little  piece  of  tinder,  a  dry  and  rotten  wood  .  .  . 
when  they  have  lighted  it,  they  put  it  into  pulverized  cedar  bark;  and,  by 
gently  blowing,  this  bark  takes  fire." — Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed., 
vol.  VI,  p.  217. 

•  Prevailed  among  Iroquois  and  Algonkin  families  north  of  the  Ohio; 
extended  west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  was  in  all  cases  attended  with  cere- 
monies, though  not  observed  in  the  more  northerly  regions  with  as  much 


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consisted  of  a  spindle  with  a  disk  of  wood ;  a  cross-piece,  to  the 
ends  of  which  a  slack  cord  was  attached,  the  centre  of  the  cord 
being  fastened  to  the  top  of  the  spindle;  and  lastly,  a  hearth  of 
dry  wood  for  drilling  upon.  The  drill  was  operated  by  giving 
the  cord  a  few  twists  around  the  spindle,  then  alternately  press- 
ing downward  and  relaxing  the  pressure,  which  caused  the 
spindle  to  revolve  rapidly  in  a  small  depression  at  one  side  of 
the  hearth.  A  small  groove  at  one  side  of  this  allowed  the  ignited 
dust  to  fall  upon  some  tinder  placed  below"^;  a  socket  was 
sometimes  applied  to  the  top  of  the  spindle  to  increase  the 
pressure. 

Hennepin,  in  speaking  of  the  fire-making  methods  of  the 
Illinois  and  neighbouring  tribes,  states  that  a  stick  or  spindle 
of  some  hard  wood  was  used  upon  a  hearth  of  cedar;  this  was  the 
spindle  twirled  between  the  hands.^  The  same  method  was 
employed  by  the  Huron,'  as  well  as  by  many  other  tribes  through- 


solemnity  as  in  the  Gulf  State  region. — See  Schoolcraft,  Indian  Tribes  of  U.S., 
vol.  V,  p.  104. 

Cf.  Brinton,  Myths  of  the  New  World,  p.  183,  regarding  mythical  origin 
of  fire. 

•  Morgan,  League  of  the  Iroquois,  vol.  II,  p.  39. 

*  Hennepin,  A  New  Discovery,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  I,  p.  24t»;  Loskiel, 
pt.  I,  p.  54. 

'  Le  Jeune  remarks,  with  regard  to  the  Montagnais  and  more  particularly 
to  the  Hurons:  "They  have  still  another  kind  of  fuse.  They  twist  a  little 
cedar  stick,  and  this  friction  causes  fire,  which  lights  some  tinder.'" — Jesuit 
Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  VI,  p.  267. 

Sagard  gives  the  Huron  method  in  detail:  "They  take  two  sticks  of  willow, 
basswood,  or  some  other  kind,  dry  and  light,  then  arrange  two  sticks  of  willow, 
basswood,  or  some  other  kind,  dry  and  light,  then  arranging  one  about  the 
length  of  the  forearm  or  less,  and  of  the  thickness  of  the  finger,  and  having 
along  the  side  a  small  hole  about  the  size  of  a  knife  point  or  a  beaver's  tooth, 
and  a  little  groove  with  a  notch  at  one  side,  to  allow  to  fall  upon  some  tinder 
placed  below  the  powder  which  is  brought  to  ignition.  They  place  the  point  of 
another  stick  of  the  same  wood,  and  as  large  as  the  little  finger  or  less,  in  the 
hole  thus  commenced  and  turn  this  in  the  hands  so  vigorously  and  so  long 
that  they  light  the  tinder,  and  then  with  some  small,  dry  sticks  they  kindle 
a  fire  for  cooking.  All  wood,  however,  is  not  suitable  for  making  fire.  .  .  . 
At  times,  when  they  have  difficulty,  they  powder  up  in  the  hole  a  little  char- 
coal or  a  little  dry  powdered  wood  which  they  get  from  some  stump;  if  they 
have  no  large  stick  (for  a  hearth)  they  take  two  round  ones,  tie  them  together 


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out  the  continent.  A  Cayuga  informant'  gives,  as  the  best 
materials  for  spindles,  the  wood  of  the  sHppery  elm  and  the 
hickory,  with  a  hearth  of  basswood,  maple,  or  any  hard  wood. 
Among  the  materials  used  by  Tonawanda  fire-makers^  for  the 
same  purpose,  were  slippery  elm  and  white  ash,  with  a  hearth 
of  dry  basswood.  Ironwood  was  employed  for  both  spindles 
and  hearths  by  the  Onondaga  and  others.  Button-wood  is 
also  mentioned  as  a  spindle  material.  Chief  Gibson  described  a 
drill  in  which  the  spindle  was  of  hickory  and  the  hearth  of 
pitch  pine. 

A  Cayuga  informant'  remembered  the  use  of  an  unusual 
form  of  pump  drill,  in  which  the  spindle  was  over  4  feet  in 
length,  a  comparatively  small  whorl  being  required,  owing  to 
the  weight  of  the  spindle  (Plate  XIII).  It  was  also  stated 
that  in  olden  times  the  whorl  or  disk  was  made  of  a  small  branch 
bent  into  a  circle  and  interlaced  with  bark.*  The  whorl  is 
considered  to  be  better  a  little  out  of  centre  to  ensure  greater 
friction. 

The  fire  plow  was  also  in  use  among  the  Onondaga,  though 
more  rarely  employed. 

The  fire  saw  method  was  described  by  John  Jamieson,  jun. 
A  fallen  ironwood  tree  is  found  and  a  dry  spot  in  it  is  selected. 
A  stick  of  the  same  wood  is  cut  and  is  rubbed  back  and  forth 
across  the  log  by  two  persons.  The  tinder  mentioned  was  the 
Polporus  applanatus  fungus  (Una'sa'),  dried  and  shredded. 

The  bow  drill,  as  used  at  Tonawanda,  consisted  of  a  spindle 
of  white  ash  or  slippery  elm,  with  a  hearth  of  dry  basswood. 
The  string  for  the  bow  was  the  inner  bark  of  the  moose  or  leather- 
wood.     The  punk  was  described  as  rotten  maple,  prepared  for 


by  their  ends,  and  placing  the  knee  upon  them  to  hold  them,  place  between 
them  the  point  of  another  stick  made  like  a  weaver's  shuttle,  and  whirl  this 
by  the  other  end  between  the  hands,  as  before." — Voyage,  I,  pp.  48,  49. 

H.  S.  Caswell,  Our  Life  Among  the  Iroquois,  p.  237:  fire-making  by 
twirling  a  stick  between  the  hands  is  described  by  Squire  Johnson  as  an  old 
Iroquois  method. 

'  John  Jamieson,  jun. 

'  Alex.  Snider. 

'  Bob  Smoke. 

*  John  Jamieson,  jun. 


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use  by  drying.  Other  kinds  of  punk  mentioned  were:  beech 
rot,  dried;  a  species  of  Polyporus^  found  growing  on  pines; 
fat  pine,  slivered  up  small;  also  dry  hemlock  twigs.  These 
were  packed  closely  around  the  base  of  the  drill  and  kindled 
into  a  fire  by  blowing. 

Among  the  European  methods  used  later  were:  the  flint 
and  steel,  and  the  burning  glass,  both  of  which  were  articles  of 
trade  in  early  days.  The  inflammability  of  the  wadding  used 
in  the  old-fashioned  muzzle-loaders  was  noted  and  fire  was 
frequently  kindled  by  setting  off  a  charge  of  powder. 

Terms  Used  in  Fire-making  {On.). 

Fire-drill,  edjisdonia''ta'. 

Spindle,  gai^du'da'. 

Whorl,  dewa'ci^'d(?'da"gwi'. 

Cross-piece,  gan^tcu'da'gwt'  or  degayadp'da'gwf. 

Rock  used  for  making  fire,  deyedji'sdae'sta'  ust^'ha'   (to 

make  fire-rock). 
Flint,  uhu'e'. 
New  fire,  udjisda'se'. 
Pitch  pine,  ushe'sdaa'  or  ushe'sdada'. 
Punk,  una'sa'  (Ca.  unra"sa')- 
He  makes  fire  with  a  drill,  ^hadjisdo-'nia'. 

THE   GATHERING  OF  WOOD. 

The  provision  of  firewood  was  evidently  as  much  a  problem 
in  former  times  as  now,  and  village  sites  were  frequently  changed, 
at  least  partly,  on  this  account.^    Sagard  informs  us  that  "they 


'  Polyporus  igniarius  (or  Fames  igniarius). 

2  Loskiel,  pt.  I,  pp.  55,  56:  "They  never  think  of  sparing  the  forest  trees, 
for  they  not  only  burn  more  wood  than  is  necessary  for  house  consumption, 
but  destroy  them  by  peeling.  The  greatest  havoc  among  the  forest  trees  is 
made  by  fires,  which  happen  either  accidentally,  or  are  kindled  by  the  Indians, 
who  in  spring,  and  sometimes  in  autumn,  burn  the  withered  grass,  that  a 
fresh  crop  may  grow  for  the  deer.  These  fires  run  on  for  many  miles,  burning 
the  bark  at  the  roots  of  the  trees  in  such  a  manner,  that  they  die.  A  forest 
of  fir  trees  is  in  general  destroyed  by  these  fires. 

"From  these  and  other  causes,  the  fire-wood  at  last  begins  to  be  scarce, 
and  necessity  obliges  them  to  seek  other  dwelling-places." 


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fill  with  dry  wood  for  winter  use  all  the  space  beneath  the  plat- 
forms, which  they  call  garihagueu  and  eindichaguet;  but  the 
big  trunks  or  logs,  which  serve  to  hold  the  fire,  raised  a  little  at 
one  end,  they  pile  in  front  of  their  cabins,  or  store  them  in  the 
entries,  which  they  call  aque.  All  the  women  assist  in  provid- 
ing wood,  which  begins  with  the  months  of  March  and  April. 
They  use  only  good  wood,  preferring  to  go  far  for  it  rather 
than  to  use  green  or  smoky  fuel.  If  they  do  not  find  perfectly 
dry.  trees,  they  fell  those  having  dry  branches,  which  they  break 
into  splinters  and  cut  an  equal  length.  They  do  not  use 
fagots  nor  the  very  large  trunks,  which  they  allow  to  lie  and  rot, 
as  they  have  no  saws  to  saw  them.""^ 

A  social  custom  which  was  frequently  practised  by  the 
women  was  the  providing  of  the  winter's  supply  of  firewood  for 
brides  who  were  married  too  late  in  the  season  to  undertake  this 
duty  for  themselves.  In  Sagard's  vocabulary  of  the  Huron 
language  an  allusion  is  found  to  the  cry  which  was  uttered  through 
the  village  by  the  crier,  calling  upon  all  the  wood-gatherers  to 
go  to  the  forest  to  collect  the  general  supply.  This  was  escoir- 
haykion!  escoirhaykion !  (To  the  forest!  To  the  forest!). 

The  gathering  of  wood  is  still  very  often  done  by  the  women, 
and  by  the  older  men,  who  sometimes  employ  the  pack-basket 
(Plate  XIV,  fig.  a),  or  the  hand-sleigh,  for  transportation. 

UTENSILS  USED  IN  THE  GATHERING,  PREPARATION, 
AND  EATING  OF  FOOD. 

COOKING  METHODS    AND   UTENSILS. 

Cookery  methods,  generally  speaking,  have  evidently 
undergone  considerable  change,  more  particularly  during  the 
historical  period.  Not  only  were  there  modifications  in  fire- 
making,  but  also  in  the  utensils  employed,  the  changes  in  the 
latter  being  probably  the  most  important.  Lafitau  remarks 
of  this  that  "before  the  Europeans  brought  them  kettles  or  pots 
from  across  the  ocean  they  (the  women)  made  use  of  earthen 
vessels,  which  they  manufactured  with  some  skill,  giving  them 
a  spherical  form  at  the  bottom  and  considerable  width  at  the 


'  Sagard,  Voyage,  I,  p.  82. 


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top;  and  after  having  dried  them  in  the  sun,  they  burnt  them 
in  a  slow  fire  made  with  bark.  The  more  migratory  tribes 
possrased  only  wooden  cooking  utensils,  less  fragile,  but  easier 
of  transportation.  They  cooked  their  food  in  these  by  throwing 
into  the  water,  one  after  the  other,  heated  stones.  This  gra- 
dually heated  the  water,  and  caused  it  to  boil  sufficiently  to 
satisfy  people  who  were  accustomed  to  partly-cooked  food."' 
Bressani  comments  on  a  lack  of  suitable  cooking  appliances 
among  the  Hurons:  "Before  knowing  the  Europeans,  as  they 
had  no  kettles  for  cooking  victuals,  especially  on  their  journeys, 
they  made  a  ditch  in  the  earth,  and  filled  it  with  water,  which 
they  caused  to  boil  by  cooling  in  it  a  number  of  stones,  first 
heated  red-hot  for  this  purpose.  "^  The  inference  is  that  this 
was  a  hasty  method  employed  when  the  ordinary  utensils  were 
not  at  hand. 

Informants  at  Grand  River  and  elsewhere  state  that  boiling 
was  sometimes  practised  by  placing  a  bark  vessel  in  direct 
contact  with  the  fire,  a  fact  which  is  confirmed  by  historical 
references.  Squire  Johnson,  an  aged  Seneca,  remarks  that 
"they  cooked  their  meat  in  a  bark  kettle,  which  they  made 
by  using  a  flint  axe  or  chisel  to  separate  the  bark  from  an  elm 
tree.  They  tied  the  large  pieces  of  bark  together  at  the  ends 
with  strips  of  the  inner  bark,  making  a  dish  large  enough  to 
hold  the  meat,  with  water  enough  to  boil  it.  This  bark  kettle 
was  suspended  between  two  sticks  over  the  fire,  and  before  the 
kettle  was  burnt  through  the  meat  was  cooked."'  It  is  said 
that  by  protecting  the  edges  of  the  vessel  from  the  flames  it 
answered  this  purpose  very  well. 

While  the  greater  part  of  the  foods  used  by  the  Iroquois 
seems  to  have  been  prepared  by  boiling,  such  methods  as  baking 
on  a  flat  stone*,  roasting  or  cooking  in  the  red-hot  embers  and 
broiling  on  spits  or  sticks  stuck  into  the  ground  before  the  fire, 


*  Lafitau,  Moeurs,  vol.  II,  p.  87. 

Cf.  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  I,  p.  285. 
^  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXXVIII,  p.  2SS. 
'  Caswell,  H.  S.,  Our  Life  Among  the  Iroquois,  pp.  237,  238. 

*  Adair,  Hist,  of  the  North  American  Indians,  pp.  407,  408. 
This  method  is  still  remembered  by  some  of  the  older  people. 


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were  also  extensively  practised.  Pits  of  suitable  size  were 
frequently  dug  in  the  side  of  some  convenient  bank  or  clay  de- 
posit. A  fire  was  built  in  these,  the  coals  removed,  and  corn, 
squashes,  roots,  and  other  foods  baked  by  covering  over  with 
ashes.     Archaeological  remains  of  such  pits  are  common. 

The  use  of  earthenware  pots  in  the  boiling  of  meat,  etc., 
is  attested  by  many  early  writers  and  observers,  and  is  further 
suggested  by  the  form  of  the  utensils  found  and  the  evident 
employment  of  many  of  them  in  cooking  operations  as  indicated 
by  the!  nterior  incrustations. 

The  rounded  bottoms  were  evidently  adapted  equally  for 
standing  in  the  light  soil,  which  usually  formed  the  floors  of  the 
cabins,  or  for  maintaining  an  upright  position  in  the  fire,  the 
latter  of  which  is  suggested  by  such  illustrations  as  those  of 
Lafitau*  and  others. 

The  extension  rim  found  on  most  of  the  pots,  suggests  that 
they  could  have  been  tied  about  the  neck  with  bark  cord  or  vines 
and  suspended  from  poles  arranged  either  tripod-fashion,  or 
between  crotches.  Schoolcraft  figures  an  arrangement  of  this 
kind.!" 

The  introduction  of  the  European  pot  or  kettle  not  only 
increased  the  facilities  for  preparing  food,  but  was  both  more 
economical  and  convenient  than  its  predecessors,  one  of  the 
immediate  results  being  that  the  making  of  pottery  was  discon- 
tinued, perhaps  gradually  at  first,  but  so  completely  in  most 
cases  that  no  recollection  remains  of  its  method  of  manufacture, 
though  a  number  of  more  or  less  complete  descriptions  are  given 
by  various  writers.' 

The  kettles  obtained  in  trade  were  mostly  of  copper  and 
brass,  though  cast-iron  seems  also  to  have  been  in  vogue  to 


'  Lafitau,  Moeurs,  II,  plate  V,  fig.  1. 
Beverly,  Hist,  of  Virginia,  see  plate. 
White,  John,  Roanoke  Colony,  1585-88. 
'  Schoolcraft,  Historical  and  Statistical  Information,  pt.  I,  plate  XXII. 
'  Sagard,  Voyages,  I,  p.  99.     Also  Histoire  du  Canada,  Tross  ed.,  p.  260. 
Holmes,   20th  Ann.   Rep.   B.A.E.,  Aboriginal  Pottery  of  the  Eastern 
United  States,  pp.   1-201. 

Gushing,  F.  H.,  The  Germ  of  Shoreland  Pottery,  Memoirs  Inter.  Congress 
of  Anthrop.,  Chicago,  1894. 


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some  extent,  and  small  pots  of  the  latter  material  have  been 
preserved  by  some  as  relics  of  these  earlier  times.  The  iron 
pot  is  most  frequently  used  at  present. 

Fire  and  Cookery  Terms  {Onondaga). 

Fire,  ode'ka'. 

Ashes,  og^'he'. 

Firewood,  oy^'da'. 

Charcoal  or  coal,  uswq,'da'  (something  black). 

Smoke,  oy^^gwaa'. 

Smoke  coming  out  of  a  chimney,  oy?*  gwae'da'. 

Blaze  or  flames,  o'dQ"gwa'. 

Match,  dega'da'kwa.' 

I  make  a  fire,  gadega''ta'. 

She  makes  a  fire,  Qdega"ta'. 

He  makes  a  fire,  hadega^ta*. 

Pole  for  suspending  a  pot,  o'a'na'. 

Crotch  used  in  suspension  of  pole,  ga'sa'e'. 

Pothook  (of  wood),  ga*su''daa'. 

Large  pot,  gana'dju'wa'ne". 

Brass  kettle,  ga^na'dji^ag'wi'. 

Small  pot  (iron),  nigana"djiaa'. 

Boiling,  o-ya'h^s. 

Cooking,  goko'ni". 

One  who  cooks,  ekonia'ha'. 

Roasting  in  a  pan,  wade^skg'da'  Qde'skQda"kwa'gt". 

Frying-pan,  gde^skgda'kwa'. 

An  interesting  enumeration  of  cooking  methods  and  uten- 
sils is  given  by  Mary  Jemison :  "Our  cooking  consisted  in  pound- 
ing our  corn  into  samp  or  hominy,  boiling  the  hominy, 
making  now  and  then  a  cake  and  baking  it  in  the  ashes,  and  in 
boiling  and  roasting  our  venison.  As  our  cooking  and  eating 
utensils  consisted  of  a  hommany  block  and  pestle,  a  small  kettle, 
a  knife  or  two,  and  a  few  vessels  of  bark  or  wood,  it  required  but 
little  time  to  keep  them  in  order  for  use."' 


'  Seaver,  Life  of  Mrs.  Mary  Jemison,  p.  43. 


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MORTARS  AND  PESTLES. 


Quite  a  number  of  Indian  families  still  retain  the  corn  mor- 
tar (Plate  XVIII),  or  "hommany  block"  referred  to  by  Mary 
Jemison.  This  may  usually  be  seen  standing  upsidedown  just 
outside  the  door,  and  is  very  frequently  made  of  the  black,  red, 
or  other  varieties  of  oak,  and  the  pestle  of  maple,  ironwood,  ash, 
or  hickory.  Buttonwood  was  mentioned  by  a  Tonawanda  in- 
formant as  a  suitable  mortar  material.  Elm  is  also  used  at  times, 
but  is  not  considered  as  good. 

In  the  manufacture  of  the  mortar,  a  tree  of  suitable  dimen- 
sions is  felled  and  allowed  to  lie  until  it  becomes  properly  seasoned. 
A  block  or  section  is  then  cut  off  pretty  well  up  the  trunk 
where  the  diameter  is  most  uniform.  A  number  of  inquiries 
and  measurements  made  indicate  that  the  height  is  made  to 
conform  with  the  convenience  of  the  user  or  owner.  A  hemis- 
pherical or  slightly  conical  hollow  is  next  excavated  in  one  end 
of  the  block  by  burning  and  then  hacking  or  scraping  away  the 
burnt  material.  The  depth  of  the  hollow  varies  somewhat,  but 
is  usually  from  8  to  12  inches. 

The  pestle  is  double-ended,  with  a  place  for  grasping  the 
centre,  though  only  one  end  is  used  until  this  becomes  worn  or 
broken,  the  purpose  of  the  opposite  end  being  principally  to  give 
weight  and  balance. 

The  pestle  is  grasped  firmly  in  both  hands  and  brought  down 
smartly,  a  few  minutes  vigorous  pounding  being  sufficient  to 
produce  meal  for  a  batch  of  bread  or  hominy.  Anywhere  from 
one  to  four  people  may  pound  at  once,  the  pestles  being  brought 
down  alternately  or  one  after  the  other. 

A  peculiar  circular  scraping  or  rubbing  motion  is  imparted 
to  the  pestle  from  time  to  time,  the  object  being  to  dislodge  the 
meal  which  adheres  to  the  sides  of  the  mortar.  This  rather 
difficult  feat  is  accomplished  without  losing  a  stroke. 

Some  of  the  older  people  relate  how  the  women  of  neigh- 
bouring houses  sometimes  ran  races  to  see  who  could  perform  the 
operations  of  grinding  and  making  the  meal  into  cakes  most 
quickly. 

A  Mohawk  informant  describes  a  taboo  to  the  effect  that  a 
woman  at  the  monthly  period  should  be  prohibited  from  pounding 


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COFR,  aba  from  touching  foods  or  medicine.  Illness  of  various 
kinds  is  ascribed  to  neglect  of  this  precaution.'-  An  Onondaga 
informant  held  that  no  harm  would  result  so  long  as  the  woman 
is  not  allowed  to  touch  the  corn. 

If  a  woman  at  this  period,  according  to  David  Key  (On.)f 
prepares  food  for  twins,  the  latter  will  no  longer  be  able  to  fore- 
tell future  events  or  perform  the  other  remarkable  things  at- 
tributed to  them. 

In  former  times,,  when  a  girl  arrived  at  puberty,  wagdodia'ga' 
(On.),  her  parents,  or  relatives  gathered  up  a  quantity  of  the 
hardest  corn  they  could  find,  selecting  sweet  corn,  if  they  could 
get  it,  as  being  the  hardest  to  grind  into  meaL  More  than  enough 
foe  a  day's  grinding  was  prepared  and  the  unsuspecting  maiden 
was  required  to  perform  the  task  in  a  single  day.  If  she  were 
successful,  it  was  regarded  as  a  sign  that  she  would  be  an  in- 
dustrious housewife.  If  a  mortar  or  the  corn  were  not  available, 
she  was  set  at  cutting  down  a  tree  with  a  dull  axe.''  Puberty 
customs  of  this  kind  are  stiU  practised  by  the  more  conser- 
vative. 

The  wooden  mortar,  with  comparatively  little  variation 
of  form,  is  widely  distributed  throughout  the  various  regions 
of  corn  culture.  The  pestles,  also,  exhibit  some  similarity, 
though  those  employed  by  some  tribes  show  no  particular  at- 
tempt at  working  into  shape. 

A  very  crude  or  primitive  method  of  grinding  corn  was  by 
means  of  two  medium-sized  pebbles  of  a  flat-round  shape,  the 
lower  one  pitted  slightly  in  the  centre  to  hoW  the  grains  (Plate 
XIV,  fig.  c). 

A  slightly  vaiying  form  consists  of  a  muller  for  holding  in 
one  hand  and  a  shallow  mortar  or  mealing  slab,  an  outfit  which 
could  be  readily  carried  (Plate  XIV,  fig.  d).  Mullers  and 
mealing  slaibs  of  this  variety  are  occasionally  found  near  olrf  cabin 
sites  on  the  present  reservations.  An  earlier  form  of  this  device 
may  be  represented  by  the  defwessions  foUnd  on  the  flattened 
surfaces  of  large  rocks  and  boulders.  A  considerable  number 
of  the  latter  have  been  found  in  Iroquois  territory. 


'  Seth  Newhouse  (Mo.),  Canienga,  Brant  County  reserve. 
'John  Jamieson,  jun. 


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Cylindrical  pestles  of  stone  were  evidently  not  in  use  among 
the  Iroquois,  though  employed  by  their  Algonkin  neighbours 
to  the  east  as  late  as  the  Revolutionary  war.^ 

The  use  of  flattened  pebbles  for  cracking  corn  and  nuts  is 
still  remembered  by  quite  a  number  of  the  older  people,  and  is 
mentioned  frequently  in  the  Relations  and  elsewhere  as  a  con- 
venient or  auxiliary  method  among  the  Hurons  and  Iroquois 
generally  and  many  of  the  surrounding  tribes.  A  couple  of 
stones  of  this  kind  were  obtained  from  an  Indian  family  at 
Caughnawaga.  Mrs.  J.  Williams  of  the  same  village  remembers 
that  about  fifty  years  ago  corn  was  often  ground  by  taking  two 
pebbles,  as  described,  one  usually  somewhat  larger  than  the 
other;  the  larger  was  placed  in  a  large  wooden  bowl  held  in  the 
lap  and  the  grain  either  cracked,  or  ground  into  a  meal  (Plate 
XV). 

David  Jack,  of  the  Grand  River  reserve,  was  of  the  opinion 
that  the  wooden  mortar  as  now  used  is  not  an  extremely  old 
device  with  the  Iroquois,  though  Lafitau  figures  a  mortar  of 
this  kind  at  an  early  date.  It  was  stated  by  Jack  that  the  older 
people  used  sometimes  to  burn  a  hole  in  the  trunk  of  a  fallen 
tree,  a  device  suggestive  of  that  in  use  among  the  Ojibwa, 
Pottawatomie,  Seminoles,  and  others,  the  pounder  or  pestle 
in  the  latter  instance  being  simply  a  large  hardwood  stick.' 

Onondaga  and  Mohawk  Terms. 

Wooden  mortar,  ga'niga^da'  ga'ni-'ga'  (Mo.). 

Stone  mortar  or  mealing  slab,  on^'ya'  (a  stone). 

MuUer,  deyen^hia'kta'  on^'ha'  (cracker  for  corn). 

She  is  cracking  corn,  deyen^'hiaks  on^'ha'. 

She  is  pounding  corn  (in  the  mortar),  ete''tha'. 

Pestle,  ga'niga"da'  hf'tg^ka',  mill  or  mortar  the  top  ones 

a'si'za*  ey^da'kwa'  (Mo.). 
Two  women  are  pounding  corn,  genithe'ta'  (Mo.). 


'  One  of  these  was  found  in  the  Rideau  valley  by  Dr.  T.  W.  Beeman; 
see  Ontario  Arch.  Rep.,  1904,  p.  17. 

^  For  bibliography,  etc.,  see  Handbook  of  American  Indians,  vol.  I,  pp. 
954,  955. 


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Several  women  are  pounding  corn,  gondithe'ta'  (Mo.). 
She  is  pounding  corn,  ytthe'ta'  (Mo.). 

THE   PACK   BASKET — ^YaNTaSHAGE"DaSTA'  (SEN.)* 

The  pack  or  carrying  basket  (Plates  XX,  XXII,  fig.  e)  had 
a  variety  of  uses.  It  is  still  frequently  employed  during  harvest 
for  gathering  corn,  and  sometimes  for  carrying  the  smaller 
children.  It  also  formed  a  convenient  receptacle  for  collecting 
firewood,  or  for  the  transportation  of  provisions.  Those  used 
for  corn  or  wood  are  very  strongly  made.  A  burden  strap  or 
tump  line,  gasha'a'  (Sen.),  is  attached  for  carrying. 

Indications  are  frequently  found  suggesting  an  improve- 
ment and  an  extension  of  basket-making  with  the  introduction 
of  European  tools,  and  the  pack  basket  has  no  doubt  also  under- 
gone some  changes,  though  there  is  little  variety  of  form  to  be 
found  at  present.  A  specimen  differing  somewhat  from  the 
ordinary  type  was  collected  at  Oneidatown,  Ontario.  This 
was  concaved  on  one  side  to  fit  the  shoulders,  and  was  said 
to  be  an  old  Oneida  style  (Plate  XXI). 

The  favourite  Iroquois  basketry  material  everywhere  is 
black  ash.  The  tree  is  cut  into  logs  some  6  or  8  feet  in 
length,  the  bark  is  removed  and  the  outside  pounded  with  the 
back  of  an  axe  or  with  a  mallet,  until  the  layers  can  be  separated 
into  strips.  When  black  ash  cannot  be  found,  other  woods,  such 
as  hickory,  soft  maple,  and  birch,  are  made  use  of  in  the  same 
way.  Another  material  which  was  sometimes  pressed  into 
service  for  the  manufacture  of  pack  baskets  was  the  bark 
stripped  from  young  hickories  (Plate  XIV,  fig.  b). 

HULLING  OR  WASHING   BASKET — ^YEGAI"D0A''TA'    (sEN.).^ 

The  hulling  or  washing  basket  is  always  twilled,  the  sides 
being  woven  tightly  and  the  bottoms  made  open  and  sieve-like. 


'  The  ordinary  Seneca  word  for  basket  is  ga'osh^'. 
Onondaga  names  given  for  corn  carrying  basket  are: 
enahanf'gwi"ta'  ga'a"saa'  or 
egeh4'4da"kwa'  ga'a'sSa'. 
'  An  Onondaga  name  is  tnahuhai'i'ta'  ga'a"saa',  "washing  corn  basket." 
The  operation  of  washing  the  corn  in  the  basket  is  referred  to  as  e'nahuhai'i'ni'. 


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There  is  some  variation  in  size  to  correspond  with  family  re- 
quirements; otherwise  there  is  little  difference,  except  with 
regard  to  the  handle.  One  style  of  basket  has  none;  another 
has  an  opening  on  each  side  for  the  hands  immediately  below 
the  rim;  a  third  haa  only  one  such  opening;*  a  fourth  has  small 
bent  wooden  handles  inserted  on  opposite  sides,  while  a  fifth 
bas  a  wooden  handle  extending  from  side  to  side.  Black  ash 
splints  are  the  ordinary  material  (Plate  XXII,  figs,  a,  e,  d). 

A  flexible  washing  basket  is  used  on  several  of  the  reserva- 
tions. This  is  constructed  of  basswood  inner  bark  or  bast, 
in  an  open  hexagonal  weave  like  snowshoe  netting  (Plate  XXII, 
fig.  b). 

The  ripe  corn  is  usually  hulled  for  cookery  purposes.  The 
first  step  in  hulling  is  to  add  sifted  hardwood  ashes  to  a  prat  of 
water  in  the  proportion  of  abou,t  one  double  handful  to  three 
quarts  of  water.  This  is  brought  to  a  boil  to  dissolve  the  lye. 
The  strength  of  the  solution  is  tested  by  tasting.  The  corn, 
previously  boiled  a  little  to  soften  it,  is  then  added  and  boilfed 
until  it  begins  to  look  swollen.  The  principal  test,  however, 
is  the  slipping  of  the  skin  when  a  grain  is  pressed  between  the 
fingers.  The  corn  and  ashes  are  stirred  from  time  to  time 
while  the  boiling  is  in  progress;  the  cobs  are  thrown  into  the 
fire  as  fuel.  The  contents  of  the  pot  are  next  emptied  into  the 
washing  basket,  allowed  to  drain  a  little,  then  soused  and  shaken 
about  with  a  whirling  motion  in  several  tubs  or  kettles  of  water, 
or  in  a  running  stream,  until  the  hulls  have  been  rubbed  off  and 
floated  away,  a  process  which  is  assisted  by  friction  against  the 
twilled  sides  of  the  basket  and  by  rubbing  with  the  hands. 

The  corn  is  now  ready  to  pound,  if  required  for  bread- 
making,  or  for  use  whole  in  hulled  corn  soup,  a  very  popular 
food.  Another  rapid  boiling  and  washing  are  often  given  to 
remove  all  traces  of  lye. 

The  following  terms  are  applied  to  hulled  corn : 
gage^ho'tcii  (On.),  the  skins  off. 
gan^huhai'i"  (On.),  corn  washed  with  water. 


'  Peter  John  (On.)  thinks  this  the  oldest  style. 


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THE  SIFTING  BASKET. 

Sifters  differ  but  little  except  in  fineness.  These  are 
twilled  and  sometimes  reinforced  around  the  bottoms  (Plate 
XXIII,  figs,  b,  c). 

The  finest  are  for  the  preparation  of  the  meal  for  corn 
bread.  The  Seneca  term  for  a  basket  of  this  sort  is  niyu^niyu'- 
sda'sa'a. 

The  hominy  sifter,  u'n^'yusdowancs  (Sen.)',  is  somewhat 
coarser,  as  indicated  by  the  name.  A  common  size  is  about  a 
foot  square  at  the  top  and  tapering  slightly  towards  the  bottom. 
The  larger  particles  are  again  pounded  until  all  are  of  the  re- 
quisite size. 

A  special  basket  is  said  to  have  formerly  been  employed 
for  sifting  ashes.  At  present,  however,  the  ordinary  type  of 
fine  sifter  is  used,  most  frequently  one  which  has  become  some- 
what old  or  worn. 

That  sifters  of  other  materials  and  patterns  were  sometimes 
used  is  indicated  by  historical  references.  One  writer  remarks 
of  a  mixed  band  of  Senecas,  Oneidas,  Mohawks,  and  Wyandots, 
who  resided  in  Ohio  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
that  "sometimes  they  pounded  the  corn  and  sifted  it  through 
a  skin  with  holes  punched  in  it  and  made  bread,  and  boiled  the 
coarser  for  hominy."'' 

The  suggestion  of  evolution  in  basketry  is  further  confirmed 
by  such  references  as  the  following  from  Lafitau,  who  remarks 
that  the  sieve  was  not  basket-like  then,  but  was  a  flat,  rectang- 
ular article,  "coarsely  made,  of  small  branches  tied  together." 
He  further  states  that  grain  was  winnowed  in  bark  vessels  or  in 
pliable  baskets  made  of  rushes  (jonc).' 

A  very  old  and  battered  flour-sifter,  collected  at  Caugh- 
nawaga,  was  made  of  slender  splinters  of  hickory  in  a  sort  of 
wicker  weave.  The  splints  were  interlaced  and  also  bound  at 
the  top  with  hickory  bark,  the  whole  forming  a  deep  and  rather 


'  An  Onondaga  name  is  unisdu'wane's  ijwa'kta',  or  large  particles  sifter. 
The  fine  sifter  is  called  ijwa'kta'. 

'  Western  Reserve  Hist.  Soc.  Tracts,  No.  64,  p.  106. 
'  Lafitau,  Moeurs,  vol.  II,  p.  86. 


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flat  receptable.     An  old  type  of  popcorn  sifter  is  figured  by  Mor- 
gan,^ which  is  woven  in  a  similar  manner  (Plate  XXIII,  fig.  a). 

BREAD   BOWLS    (bARK   AND  WOOD). 

It  seems  probable  that  bark  was  formerly  even  more  popu- 
lar than  wood  in  the  manufacture  of  household  utensils.  The 
material  was  found  in  abundance  and  could  soon  be  worked  into 
shape.  Bark  is  still  used  occasionally  for  utensils,  and  many 
of  the  older  people  remember  when  it  was  quite  extensively 
employed. 

Large  bowls  for  bread-making  were  frequently  made  of  elm 
bark.  The  latter  was  removed  from  the  tree  in  the  spring  or 
early  summer  when  the  sap  is  up.  It  was  then  bent  into  shape 
and  the  edges  strengthened  with  strips  of  hickory  or  other 
material,  which  was  bound  into  position  with  the  inner  bark  of 
the  elm  or  basswood.  A  couple  of  specimens  in  the  Victoria 
Memorial  Museum  at  Ottawa  are  nearly  2  feet  in  diameter  and 
7  or  8  inches  deep  (Plate  XXIV,  fig.  c). 

Such  bowls  were  also  employed  for  other  purposes  than  the 
making  of  bread.  A  Caughnawaga  informant  states  that  they 
were  frequently  used  for  holding  the  stones  for  cracking  corn  on 
the  lap  (Plate  XV).  They  also  answered  as  dish  pans,  wash 
pans,  for  holding  food,  and  as  general  culinary  utensils.  The 
usual  form  was  round,  though  some  are  oval  or  of  an  oblong 
rectangular  shape. 

Bark  is  mentioned  repeatedly  by  all  the  early  writers  as  the 
material  in  most  common  use  for  all  sorts  of  everyday  purposes. 
"Long  bark  vessels"  were  used  by  some  of  the  northern  Algonkins 
in  the  cooking  of  meat  and  other  foods,  ^  most  likely  by  means  of 
the  stone  boiling  method.  Birch  bark  was  a  very  popular  raw 
material  among  these  northern  tribes,  though  it  was  less  plenti- 
ful in  the  Iroquois  country.  One  of  the  Relations  observes  of 
the  Hurons  that  they  were  "without  tables,  benches,  or  anything 
of  the  kind,  the  earth  or  some  bark  serving  them  for  every  pur- 
pose."' 


'  Morgan,  League  of  the  Iroquois,  vol.  II,  p.  31. 

*  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLI,  pp.  183,  185. 

» Ibid.,  vol.  XXXVIII,  p.  247. 


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The  manufacture  of  wood  into  dishes,  spoons,  etc.,  was 
evidently  a  laborious  process,  especially  before  the  arrival  of  the 
whites.  Hennepin  remarks  of  this  that  "when  the  Savages 
are  about  to  make  Wooden  Dishes,  Porringers  or  Spoons,  they 
form  the  Wood  to  their  purpose  with  their  Stone  Hatchets, 
make  it  hollow  with  their  Coles  out  of  the  Fire  and  scrape  them 
afterward  with  Beaver's  Teeth  for  to  polish  them."^ 

Sagard  also  notes  that  the  Hurons  manufactured  bowls  from 
knots  of  wood  and  smoothed  them  with  beavers'  incisors.^  The 
use  of  the  latter  as  woodworking  tools  is  confirmed  archaeologi- 
cally,'  also  the  employment  of  cutting  implements  of  flint,  bone, 
shell,*  and  other  materials.  Saws  for  small  articles  were  fre- 
quently made  from  flint  and  a  Grand  River  informant  states 
that  the  rough  posterior  margin  of  the  snapping-turtle's  shell 
was  used  for  the  same  purpose. 

Cutting  edges  required  to  be  more  or  less  adapted  in  shape 
to  the  surface  to  which  they  were  applied,  so  that  tools  with 
curved  or  rounded  edges  were  soon  differentiated  for  the  making 
of  bowls  and  ladles.  A  later  adaptation  and  evolution  of  this 
idea  is  found  in  the  curved  steel  knife,  ^  which  is  found  over  a 
very  large  cultural  area,  including  the  eastern  woodlands,  and 
which  is  used  everywhere  for  smoothing  out  wooden  bowls  and 
spoons.  A  successor  of  the  stone  gouge  is  a  small  curved  adze 
of  steel,*  a  very  popular  tool  with  woodworkers  on  the  various 
reservations  for  roughing  out  such  articles  as  bowls  and  false- 
faces.  The  same  implement  was  formerly  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  dug-outs. 

A  favourite  material  for  bowls  everywhere  was  the  knot 
which   grows   upon   the  soft  maple    (Plate  XV).     The  bowls 


1  Hennepin,  A  New  Discovery,  p.  103. 

2  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  II,  p.  227. 

'  Boyle,  Dr.  David,  Ont.  Arch.  Rep.,  1904,  pp.  20-22. 

*Wintemberg,  W.  J.,  The  Use  of  Shells  by  the  Ontario  Indians,  Ont. 
Arch.  Rep.,  1907,  pp.  42,  43.  Beauchamp,  N.  Y.  State  Mas.  Bulletin  41,  pp. 
378,  379. 

5  A  Mohawk  name  is  deyuda'sara'tii,  cf.  Oneida,  diuda'sara'gda. 

'  An  Oneida  name  by  Gus  Yellow,  Grand  River  reserve,  is  unyonya"da. 
Onondaga,  djukdQ'saa'da'.  Another  informant  gave  enakda«sa"nia'ta', 
"wooden  vessels  to  smooth  out  inside." 


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used  for  playing  the  peach-stone  game  were  made  from  the  knots 
found  on  the  maple,  walnut,  and  other  woods.  Baaswood  was 
perhaps  still  more  commonly  employed  (Plate  XXV).  Sassai^ 
fras  is  mentioned  by  Kalm  as  having  been  used  for  bowla.,* 
Brickell,  in  describing  the  Indians  of  North  Carolina,  states 
that  they  made  "dishes  and  wooden;  platters"  of  the  sweet 
gum,  poplar,  sycamore,  and  the  like.*  It  is  probable,  that 
other  woods  were  also  used,  according  to  locality  and  suitability 
for  the  purpose.  Handles  were  frequently  placed  oppositely 
and  were  sometimes  carved  into  various  forms. 

DISHES  USED   IN   EATING. 

Dishes  for  this  purpose  were  made  both  of  wood  and  bark, 
the  latter,  as  before,  showing  evidences  of  having  been  the  more 
common  material  and  the  wood,  to  some  extent  at  least,  the 
result  of  more  modern  appliances.  For  ordinary  purposes 
basswood  was  often  employed. 

The  convenience  and  utility  of  bark  dishes  and  troughs  is 
seen  in  their  retention  down  to  comparatively  recent  times,  many 
of  the  older  people  having  eaten  from  them  and  still  remembering 
their  construction.  Many  references  are  found  to  the  use  of 
these.  Squire  Johnson,  in  describing  the  customs  of  New 
York  State  Senecas,  states  that,  in  former  times,  "the  dishes 
and  spoons  were  also  made  of  bark."'  Sagard,  in  relating  his 
experiences  while  journeying  to  the  Huron  country,  states  that 
one  of  his  companions  busied  himself  "in  seeking  two  flat  stones 
with  which  to  crush  the  Indian  corn  upon  a  skin  stretched  out 
upon  the  ground,  and  afterwards  to  empty  it  into  a  kettle  and 
boil  it;  this  being  cooked  nicely  it  is  placed  in  bark  bowls,  and 
then  eaten  with  the  aid  of  large  wooden  spoons."^  That  no 
time  was  lost  in  these  culinary  preparations  is  suggested  by  the 
remark  that  dirty  stones  were  often  used  for  cracking  the  corn. 


'  Kalm,  Travels,,  vol.  I,  pp.  266,  267. 
'  Brickell,  Natural  History  af  North  Carolina,  p.  401. 
'  Caswell,  H.  S.„  Our  Life  Among  the  Iroquois,  p..  238. 
*  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  45. 


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A  couple  of  neatly  made  elm  bark  sap  troughs  were  collected 
at  Tonawanda  (Plate  XXIV,  fig.  b).  In  the  construction  of 
these  the  baric  is  thinned  at  the  ends  and  gathered  into  a  fan- 
shaped  tie.  The  fragrant  though  somewhat  sticky  bark  of 
young  pines  is  frequently  made  into  bowls  by  folding  and  tying 
at  the  ends.  Basswood  is  also  used,  and  Kalm  records  the 
employment  of  buttonwood  bark.'  The  variety  of  these  ma- 
terials is  suggestive  in  some  slight  degree  of  the  ingenuity  of 
the  Iroquois  in  the  adaptation  to  their  needs  of  natural  products. 

Onondaga  Names  for  Dishes  Used  in  Eating. 

Large  bread  bowl,  ga'g'wa'. 

Eating  bowl,  ga'p'wa'  gdekonia''ta'. 

Butter  bowl,  ewisonia''ta'  ga'p'wa'. 

Bowl  for  peach-stone  game,  deyey^da'kwa'  ga'dji?' 

(betting  bowl). 
Bark  bowl,  uskp'daa'  ga'p'wa'. 
Dish  made  of  a  turtle's  carapace,  ha'nu'wa'  ga'dji§'. 

SPOONS   OR  LADLES. 

Spoons  were,  perhaps,  most  frequently  made  of  wood  and 
are  often  mentioned  in  connexion  with  bark  receptacles  and 
utensils.^  On  the  other  hand,  bark  was  also  employed  in  spoon- 
making  and  spoons  of  this  material  were  commonly  used  within 
the  recollection  of  many  now  living  on  the  reservations.  Elm 
bark  seems  to  have  been  most  in  favour  and  could  be  quickly 
manufactured  into  a  serviceable  article  (Plate  XXVI,  fig.  a), 
which  was  made  in  several  styles. 

Home-made  spoons  are  occasionally  used  even  at  present 
(Plates  XXVI,  XXVII,  XXVIII).  Large-sized  dipping  spoons, 
sometimes  nearly  a  foot  in  diameter,  were  formerly  employed  in 
longhouse  festivities,  though  these  have  been  displaced  to  a 
very  large  extent  by  tin  dippers.    A  hook  on  the  end  of  the  handle 


»  Kalm,  Travels,  vol.  I,  p.  62. 

^  Loskiel,  pt.  I,  p.  54,  remarks  that  "they  make  their  own  spoons,  and  large 
round  dishes  of  hardwood,  with  great  neatness.  In  eating,  many  make  use 
of  the  same  spoon,  but  they  commonly  sup  their  victuals  out  of  the  dish." 


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of  the  dipping  spoon  prevents  it  from  falling  into  the  vessel 
from  which  soups  or  beverages  are  dispensed. 

Decoctions  of  hemlock  bark  and  roots,  also  the  bark  of  the 
alder,  are  used  in  colouring  spoons  and  other  wooden  articles  a 
deep  red.  These  become  further  darkened  and  polished  by 
usage. 

Basswood  is  favoured  for  its  not  warping  or  checking. 
Maple,  especially  the  curly  grained,  is  preferred  by  some.  Mate- 
rials noted  at  Onondaga  Castle,  New  York,  were  apple  tree 
root,  soft  maple  knot,  and  white  ash.  Kalm  records  the  use 
by  eastern  tribes  of  "spoon  tree"  {Kalmia  latifolia);  and  J.  D. 
Hunter,  that  of  buckeye  or  horse-chestnut. 

The  handles  of  spoons  are  frequently  carved  with  designs 
which  are  ornamental,  totemistic,  or  in  response  to  dreams, 
particularly  those  occurring  during  some  indisposition  or  ill- 
ness. The  dreams  are  interpreted  by  a  local  seer  or  medical 
practitioner,  who  decides  upon  the  design,  also  the  kind  of 
wood,  the  presentation  of  such  dream-objects  to  the  patient 
being  necessitated  to  secure  recovery.  Failure  in  this  respect 
is  believed  to  be  followed  by  continued  illness  and  eventually 
by  death.  The  custom  seems  to  have  been  based  upon  the 
belief  that  the  soul  can  depart  from  the  body  and  that  satis- 
faction of  its  desires  must  be  obtained  to  bring  about  its  return.* 

Eating  spoons  vary  in  size,  some  being  of  quite  generous 
dimensions.  The  shapes,  also,  are  of  considerable  interest, 
some  suggesting  prototypes  of  clam-shell,  others  apparently 
being  based  upon  spoons  of  horn  and  similar  material,  and  others 
still  upon  the  gourd-shell  ladle  or  dipper. 

Clam-shells  are  frequently  found  on  Iroquois  sites,  sug- 
gesting a  possible  use  as  spoons,  although,  as  remarked  by 
W.  J.  Wintemberg,  "We  cannot  be  certain  as  to  how  many 
of  the  unios  .  .  .  were,  if  at  all,  used  as  spoons,  .  .  owing 
to  the  fact  that  none  of  them  has  been  altered  in  any  way." 
Some  of  the  older  Iroquois,  however,  still  carry  clam-shells  to 
eat  with  at  festivals  or  ceremonies. 

John  Jamieson,  sen.,  stated  that  clam-shells  are  not  good 
to  use  for  spoons  as  they  cause  incontinence  of  urine  (sympathetic 

1  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLIII,  p.  267. 


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magic — the  dribbling  of  water  from  the  clam  when  it  is  taken 
from  the  water  suggesting  the  foregoing  idea). 

Some  old-fashioned  people,  according  to  this  informant, 
pick  up  all  kinds  of  food  in  the  fingers,  using  no  fork  nor  spoon 
at  all. 

A  spoon-like  utensil  made  from  the  scapula  of  a  large  mam- 
mal is  figured  on  page  27  of  the  Ontario  Archaeological  Report  for 
1902.  This  was  found  in  Brant  county,  a  district  known  to 
have  been  inhabited  by  Iroquois.  Dr.  Boyle,  in  commenting 
on  this  specimen,  remarks  that:  "It  is  seldom  that  anything 
like  a  spoon  is  found  in  Ontario,  but  occasionally  there  appears  a 
specimen  which  would  seem  to  have  been  used  as  such.  This 
scarcity  may  be  owing  to  the  absence  of  spoon-food  among  the 
aborigines,  or  to  the  nature  of  the  substance  of  which  spoons 
were  made — ^wood  or  thin  pieces  of  bone,  when  mussel  (unio) 
shells  were  not  so  employed."  Regarding  foods,  however,  the 
reverse  would  seem  to  have  been  the  case,  as  soups  and  broths 
were  a  favourite  diet.  Small  and  rather  roughly-made  clay 
cups,  which  may  have  been  also  used  as  ladles,  are  occasionally 
found. 

Small  eating-paddles  made  of  wood  or  hickory  bark  are 
sometimes  employed  even  at  present.  The  hickory  bark  paddles 
are  called  hesnanugaya''d5'  (On.).  This  item  was  furnished  by 
John  Jamieson,  jun. 

David  Jack  has  seen  cow  ribs  sharpened  to  a  broad  edge 
and  used  in  the  same  way  as  the  foregoing. 

Spoons  and  eating-sticks  or  forks  used  to  be  cleaned,  put 
into  a  deer-skin  bag,  and  hung  up  somewhere  until  wanted  again. 

Terms. 
„  f  ado'gwat  (On.). 

^P°°"'  \  ganiyu'da-  (Ca.). 

Bark  ladle  or  spoon,  ado'gwat  oskcj'da'  (On.). 
Large  dipping  ladle  (used  in  longhouse),  adugwa^'tst'wane 
(On.). 

FORKS  OR  EATING-STICKS. 

These  seem  to  have  varied  somewhat,  particularly  in  length, 
being  made  to  conform  to  individual  preference.     Some  were 


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manufactured  with  a  hook  at  the  handle  for  suspension  when  not 
in  use.  Models  of  these  made  by  David  Jack  and  John  Jamieson, 
jun.,  were  considerably  over  a  foot  in  length. 

At  large  gatherings  of  any  kind  where  food  is  served,  the 
chiefs  and  leading  men  often  go  outside,  if  the  weather  is  warm, 
to  some  shady  spot,  where  big  trays  of  meat,  corn  soup,  and  corn 
bread  are  ready.  A  large  basketful  of  pointed  sticks  is  brought 
around.  Each  person  takes  one  of  the  latter  and  uses  it  for 
holding  his  or  her  portion  of  meat  or  dumpling  (Figure  1). 

THE   PADDLE. 

Stirring  paddles  and  paddles  for  lifting  the  cakes  of  boiled 
corn  bread  from  the  kettle  are  still  quite  frequently  seen  in 
Iroquois  houses  (Plates  XXIX,  XXX). 

The  stirring  paddle  is  the  narrower  of  the  two  and  is  used  in 
the  preparation  of  corn  soup,,  hominy,  and  other  foods.  The 
bread  paddles  are  of  two  styles,  one  having  a  rectangular  blade, 
the  other  a  blade  of  circular  shape.  The  latter  are  stated  by  an 
Onondaga  informant  to  have  been  used  for  turning  or  revolving 
the  cakes  while  cooking.  Most  bread  paddles  have  a  circular 
or  heart-shaped  hole  in  the  middle  of  the  blade  to  assist  in  drain- 
ing. Another  use  suggested  for  these  holes  is  to  tell  when  maple 
syrup  has  reached  the  point  of  "sugaring,"  by  noting  its  in- 
clination to  thread  across  the  opening. 

The  wood  employed  for  paddles  is  usually  some  variety  of 
maple,  though  other  hardwoods  are  sometimes  used. 

The  carved  designs  with  which  the  handles  are  decorated 
show  some  variety,  though  no  indication  could  be  secured  of  any 
particular  significance.  One  of  the  more  elaborately  designed 
paddles  has  at  the  end  a  wooden  chain  carved  from  the  solid, 
from  which  is  suspended  a  hollow  rectangular  ornament  con- 
taining some  wooden  balls. 


Paddle. 


Terms. 

aseraw^'yt'  (Oneida), 
g^sdo"  gwa'  (On.), 
aseraw^'lyt'  (Mo.), 
gatgo'nia'tra'  (Ca.). 


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THE   KNIFE. 


This  was  a  very  necessary  utensil  in  food  preparation. 
Knives  were  of  several  kinds.  One  type,  no  doubt,  answered 
for  a  hunting  knife,  for  skinning  and  cutting  up  the  animals 
killed,  as  well  as  for  carving  or  dividing  the  meat  after  its  pre- 
paration for  food.  The  steel  knife,  of  course,  has  superseded 
other  kinds,  but  various  materials  other  than  steel  were  formerly 
used.  One  of  the  Relations  remarks  of  the  Iroquois  that  "They 
used  a  scallop  or  an  oyster-shell  for  cutting  off  the  right  thumb" 
of  a  captive. "^  Clam-shells  of  various  kinds  are  frequently 
found  on  Iroquoian  village  sites,  a  number  showing  wear  and 
suggesting  use  for  various  purposes.  Knives  made  from  strips 
of  elm  and  hickory  bark  are  still  sometimes  used  for  skinning 
and  fleshing  and  may  also  have  been  formerly  employed  as 
culinary  utensils  (Plate  XXXI,  figs,  a,  b). 

An  important  cutting  material  throughout  a  very  wide  area 
was  flint  or  chert.^  Little  is  known  regarding  its  use  by  the 
Iroquois  for  knives,  but  its  suitability  was  hardly  likely  to  have 
remained  unnoted.  Knife-like  blades  are  frequently  found 
on  ancient  village  sites.  The  one  illustrated  was  picked  up  on 
the  old  Iroquois  reserve  at  Onondaga  Castle,  N.  Y.  One  side 
of  this  has  a  rounder  curve  than  the  other  and  the  article 
is  evidently  intended  for  attachment  to  a  handle  (Plate  XXXI, 
fig.  c). 

FOOD  MATERIALS  AND  RECIPES. 

CORN   AS    A  FOOD   PLANT. 

Corn  {Zea  mays),  as  a  food  material,  was  found  throughout 
an  immense  area  in  North  America,  including  such  ethnological 
areas  as  Mexico  and  Central  America,  in  the  former  of  which 


'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXXI,  p.  45. 

2  Kalm  states,  probably  with  regard  to  the  Iroquois  and  neighbouring 
tribes,  that  "they  were  satisfied  with  little  sharp  pieces  of  flint  or  quartz, 
or  else  some  other  hard  kind  of  a  stone,  or  with  a  sharp  shell,  or  else  with  a 
piece  of  bone  which  they  had  sharpened." — Travels,  vol.  I,  pp.  341,  342. 


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localities  it  is  considered  to  have  originated;^  the  southwestern 
and  southeastern  areas;  the  eastern  woodlands  as  far  north, 
practically,  as  it  could  be  successfully  cultivated;  also  the 
southern  and  eastern"  borders  of  the  plains  region,  where  it 
was  cultivated  by  Siouan,  Caddoan,  and  other  tribes.  Along 
the  Pacific  coast  and  over  the  plateau  area  evidence  is  lacking 
that  it  was  cultivated  iiorth  of  the  Rio  Colorado.' 

It  was  found  in  cultivation  by  the  early  explorers  of  the 
Mississippi  valley  and  as  far  northward  as  the  Mandan  and 
Arikara  on  the  upper  Missouri,  though  not  along  the  upper 
Mississippi  nor  in  more  northern  latitudes. 

Its  introduction  at  an  early  date  into  the  regions  named  is 
indicated  by  its  extensive  distribution,  its  intimate  association 
with  mythology  and  ceremonial  procedure,  and  by  the  numerous 
archaeological  remains  discovered. 

IROQUOIS    CORN    VARIETIES. 

Most  of  the  early  writers  who  deal  with  ethnological  topics 
describe  the  varieties  of  corn,  though  generally  very  loosely 
and  inaccurately. 

Hariot,  in  "A  briefe  and  true  report,  "states  that  there  were 
"some  white,  some  red,  some  yellow  and  some  blew."  This 
makes  no  account  of  more  important  distinctions.  He  further 
remarks  that  "There  are  three  sortes,  of  which  two  are  ripe  in 
eleven  and  twelve  weekes  at  the  most:  .  .  .  The  other  sort 
is  ripe  in  fourteene,  and  is  about  ten  foote  high."* 

That  colour  was  an  incomplete  basis  of  classification  was 
appreciated  by  Beverly,  who  distinguishes  four  sorts:  two  early 


1  De  Candolle,  Origin  of  Cultivated  Plants,  p.  387. 
Sturtevant,  Kitchen  Garden  Esculents  of  American  Origin,  Amer.  Nat., 
vol.  XIX,  p.  444. 

Darwin,    Varieties  of  Plants  and  Animals  under  Domestication,   vol. 
I,  pp.  331,  332. 

'  Wissler,  Clark,   The  North  American  Indians  of  the  Plains,  Pop.  Sc. 
Monthly,  May  1913,  p.  438. 

Gilmore,  M.  R.,   The  Aboriginal  Geography  of  the  Nebraska  Country, 
Reprint  Proc.  Miss.  Valley  Hist.  Soc,  vol.  VI,  pp.  6,  7. 
"  Handbook  of  American  Indians,  pt.  I,  pp.  790,  791. 
*  Hariot,  A  brief  and  true  report,  p.  24. 


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ripe  and  two  late  ripe.  There  was  an  early  ripe  ear  of  a  "lesser 
size,"  not  much  larger  than  the  handle  of  a  case  knife  and  with 
a  stalk  between  three  and  four  feet  high.  The  late  ripe  corn  was 
distinguished  by  the  shape  of  grain  only,  without  respect  to 
colour,  and,  eis  he  further  remarks,  "that  therefore  which  makes 
the  Distinction,  is  the  Plumpness  or  Shrivelling  of  the  Grain; 
the  one  looks  as  smooth,  and  as  full  as  the  early  ripe  Corn,  and 
this  they  call  Flint-Corn;  the  other  has  a  larger  Grain,  and 
looks  shrivell'd  with  a  Dent  in  the  Back  of  the  Grain,  as  if  it 
had  never  come  to  perfection;  and  this  they  call  She-Corn. 
This  is  esteemed  by  the  Planters,  as  the  best  for  Increase."' 

In  "liiscoveries  and  settlements  of  the  English  in  America" 
there  are  mentioned  such  varieties  as  "red,  white,  yellow,  blue, 
green  and  black,  and  some  speckled  and  striped."^ 

Morgan  mentions  only  three  varieties  specifically.  These 
are:  the  white,  "o-na-o'-ga-ant;"  red,  "ti'c-ne;"  and  the  white 
flint,  "ha-go'-wa."  The  latter  is  incorrectly  referred  to  as  Seneca 
bread  corn.' 

That  selection  was  practised  is  shown  by  the  number  of 
varieties.  Sagard  remarks  that  the  seed-corn  used  by  the 
Hurons  was  "previously  selected,  and  chosen  with  care."*  The 
Indians  also  taught  the  New  England  colonists  to  "cull  out  the 
finest  seeds,"  as  well  as  to  "observe  fittest  season."*  Such  a 
proceeding  was  doubtless  quite  general.  It  is  said  of  the  Pimas 
that  "when  gathering  corn  the  women  lay  aside  the  best  ears 
for  seed."'  Among  the  Iroquois,  also,  seed-corn  is  selected  with 
a  view  to  the  propagation  of  such  qualities  as  size,  flavour, 
colour,  and  early  maturity. 

Dent  corn  has  been  described  as  a  western  form.  The 
"she-corn"  described  by  Beverly  is  probably  a  dent;  also  the 
"poketawes"  of  the  Powhatans.  J.  G.  Curtis,  in  Cyclopedia 
of  American  Agriculture,  remarks  that  there  is  a  "predominance 
of  flint  corns  northward  and  of  dent  or  pointed  corns  southward." 

•  Beverly,  History  and  Present  State  of  Virginia,  vol.  II,  pp.  28,  29. 
'  Pinkerton,  Voyages,  vol.  12,  p.  242. 

•  Morgan,  League  of  the  Iroquois,  vol.  II,  p.  28. 

•  Sagard,  Voyage  du  Pays  des  Hurons,  p.  93. 

'  Wood,  New  England's  Prospect,  Boynton  reprint,  p.  74. 
« Russell,  F.,  26th  Anntud  Rep.  B.  A.  E.,  p.  90. 


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The  history  of  sweet  corn  is  rather  obscure.  It  was  an  old 
Indian  variety,  and  is  generally  conceded  to  have  been  first 
introduced  among  the  whites  by  Capt.  Richard  Begnall,  an 
officer  in  Sullivan's  campaign,  who  obtained  it  from  the  Sus- 
quehannas  in  1779.  It  was  then  called  "papoon  corn."^  Sturte- 
vant  in  1899  lists  sixty-one  sweet  corn  varieties,  classifiable  into 
three  types. ^  The  characteristic  crinkled  appearance  of  this 
corn  is  owing  to  its  inability  to  develop  its  starch  to  maturity, 
so  that,  in  passing  from  the  "milky"  stage  to  maturity,  there  is 
evaporation  and  wrinkling.' 

Popcorn,  also  a  native  variety,  is  still  used  quite  extensively- 
Botanically,  it  may  be  considered  a  special  group  of  flint  corn 
and  differs  from  these  and  the  dent  corns  but  little  in  composition. 
Twenty-five  varieties  are  recognized,  which  are  variations  of  the 
rice  or  toothed  and  the  smooth  or  pearl  corn.  These  are  further 
divisible  into  early,  medium,  and  late.  All  the  varieties  cross 
readily,  showing  the  same  colour  variations  as  the  other  types. 

Podded  corn,  which  is  classed  as  a  variety,  was  known  from 
a  very  early  date,  and  is  a  form  in  which  each  kernel  is  enclosed 
in  husks  or  scales,  usually  four,  in  addition  to  the  husks  or  foliace- 


'Van  der  Donck,  Nm  Netherlands  (1656).     N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.  Trans., 

vol.  I,  p.  137. 

^  Seven  varieties  of  corn  (Zea  mays)  are  recognized  by  agriculturists  viz. : 

Zea  mays  tunicata,  pod  corn — probably  derived  from  Argentina. 

Zea  mays  eiierta,  popcorn — possessing  an  excessive  portion  of  corneous  en- 
dosperm. 

Zea  mays  indurata,  flint  corn — having  a  starchy  endosperm  enclosed  in  a 
corneous  endosperm  varying  in  thickness  in  different  varieties. 

Zea  mays  indentata,  dent  corn — having  corneous  endosperm  at  the  sides  of  the 
kernel  only,  the  starchy  endosperm,  which  extends  to  the  top  of  the  grain, 
drying  and  thus  forming  the  indentation. 

Zea  mays  amylacea,  soft  or  starchy  corn — characterized  by  the  absence  of 
corneous  material. 

Zea  muys  saccharata,  sweet  corn^ — ^^characterized  by  a  translucent  horny  appear- 
ance and  crinkling  in  drying.     Has  little  or  no  starch. 

Zea  mays  amylea-saccharata,  starchy-sweet  corn — having  externally  the  appear- 
ance of  a  sweet  corn,  but  with  the  lower  half  of  the  kernel  starchy  and 
non-crinkled. 

J.  W.  Harshberger,  Cyd.  of  Amer.  Agric,  vol.  II,  p.  402. 

'  East,  E.  M.,  A  Note  Concerning  Inheritance  in  Sweet  Corn.     Science, 

N.S.,  vol.  XXIX. 


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ous  bracts  enclosing  the  ear.  This  has  been  thought  by  some  to 
represent  a  very  primitive  form  of  maize,  the  naked-seeded  form 
being  a  later  development.  The  form  was  first  described  botani- 
cally  by  C.  Bauhin  in  1623,  and  is  only  morphologically,  not 
specifically,  different  from  the  other  maizes,  since  in  all  varieties 
the  kernels  possess  rudimentary  scales,  which  can  be  seen  when 
the  grains  are  removed  from  the  ear.  Podded  corn,  like  the 
other  varieties  mentioned,  can  be  hybridized,  with  a  production 
of  the  usual  colour  variations. 

All  the  corn  varieties  (Plate  XXXII)  are  considered  to  be 
sub-divisions  of  the  single  species,  Zea  mays.  Size,  colour,  the 
presence  or  absence  of  starch,  the  production  of  podded  grains, 
and  a  number  of  other  characters,  all  observe  the  laws  of  heredity 
as  defined  by  Mendel,  and  may  be  hybridized  in  varying  pro- 
portions or  fixed  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  by  selection.^  Varia- 
tions from'  type  are  consequently  of  frequent  occurrence.^ 

Onondaga  Names  for  Corn  Varieties — By  Chief  Gibson. 

Zea  mays  amylacea  (starchy  or  "bread"  corns): 

White  corn  (Tuscarora),  unahagg,'ada'  "light-coloured 

corn"  (Plate  XXXII,  figs,  a  6,  a  7). 
Purple,   unahag%:'ada'   uw§'hia',  "bread  corn,  purple" 

(Plate  XXXII,  fig.  a  2). 
Variegated  (Calico),  unahag^'ada'  deyudji'du''yf, 

"bread    corn,    several    different    colours"    (Plate 

XXXII,  figs,  a  3,  a  4). 
Red,    unahag^'ada'    utgw5"daa',    "bread   corn,    red" 

(Plate  XXXII,  fig.  a  1). 
Short  white,  ears  covered  at  the  ends  with  grains, 

unahag^'ada'     deyu'niogwt'kdi",      "bread      corn, 

covered  at  end"  (Plate  XXXII,  fig.  a  6). 
Light  yellow  (possibly  a  hybrid)  unahag^'ada*  udji'- 

tgwag^'ada'. 


1  East  and  Hayes,  Inheritance  in  Maize,  Bulletin  167,  Agric.  Exper.  Stat., 
New  Haven,  Conn.     See  also  bibliography,  p.  138. 

'  Sturtevant,  E.  L.,  An  Observation  on  the  Hybridization  and  Cross-Breeding 
of  Plants,  Amer.  Nat.,  vol.  XIX,  p.  1040. 


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Zea  mays  indurata  (flint  or  "hominy"  corns): 

Flint,  long  ears,  unaha'y'wt'  deyunahasda"ttk  deyu'- 

niQgwi'kdi"   uw^we'idji's,    "corn,  smooth,   covered 

at  ends,  long  ears"  (Plate  XXXII,  fig.  b  1). 
Flint,  short  ears,  unah'q'wi'  deyunahasda"'ttk  deyu'- 

niQgwc'kdi",    "corn,    smooth,    covered    at    ends" 

(Plate  XXXII,  fig.  b  2). 
Purple,  short  ears,  unaha'ij'wf  engdai^enia'ta',  "corn, 

hominy". 
,       Yellow,  long  ears,  unaha'ii'wt'  udjitgwai'igp',  "yellow 

com." 
Flint,  variegated,  covered  at  ends,  unaha'y'wf  deyudji'- 

du^yt'  enQdai^enia"ta',  "corn,  several  colours,  for 

hominy"  (Plate  XXXII,  fig.  4  b). 

Zea  mays  saccharata    (sweet  corn) : 

Sweetcorn,  unaha'ywi'  undenaha'gei',  "corn,  shrunken." 
A  short-eared  "nubbin"  variety  was  obtained  at  Onei- 
datown.     This  was  white  and  covered  at  the  ends 
(Plate  XXXII,  figs,  b  6,  b  7). 
Zea  mays  everia  (popcorn) : 

Popcorn    (general    name),    aw^sQ^gwa'    on^'ha',    "for 

popping  corn." 
White  rice  popcorn,  unu'djia'  aw^sp^gwa',  "tooth  pop- 
corn."    (Plate  XXXII,  fig.  b  5). 
Red  rice,  unu'djia'  aw^scygwa'  utgw5''da"'dji",  "tooth 

popcorn,  dark  red." 
Red  pearl  (smooth),  aw^sQ^gwa'  utgw^^da-'dji". 
A  general  name  given  by  an  Onondaga  Castle  informant 
was:  aw^'SQ^gwa"  yd^^sij'kwa',  "corn  for  popping." 
An  Oneida  general  name  is:    yoniso'gQ'ta'. 
Zea  mays  amylea-saccharata  (starchy-sweet) : 

A  short-eared  corn  apparently  belonging  to  this  variety 
was  obtained  at  Oneidatown. 


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Seneca  Names  for  Corn  Varieties — By  Alex.  Snider,  Tonawanda, 

N.Y. 

Starchy  or  "bread"  corn: 

White,  one'Qgaand. 

White,  grains  growing  over  the  end,  he'go'wa'  one'Q*. 

Yellow,  djitgwa''4  one'p'. 

Twelve-rowed,  yellow,  one'p'  dikni'skaii'   nia'dt'. 

Purple,  one'gdji'. 
Popcorn,  wa'dadpgwas  one'g'. 

Black,  dj4sta''4  wa'dakggwos  one'g'. 

Caughnawaga    {Mohawk)    Names  for   Corn    Varieties — By   Mr. 

Stacey. 

Starchy  or  "bread"  corn: 

White  bread  corn,  on^hag^'ra". 
Flint  or  "soup"  corn; 

Soup  corn,  yellow,  on^steu'gwe". 

Purple  "soup,"  oa'nar'. 
Sweet  corn,  deggderu'gwiks. 
Popcorn,  white  rice,  wadengtstada'gwas. 

Cayuga  Names  for  Corn  Varieties — By  William  Harris. 

Bread  corn,  red,  utgwa'djia  ona'h4. 
Bread  corn,  variegated,  na'hadji'. 
Bread  corn,  yellow,  djitgwa  ona'h4. 

Other  Terms  Used  in  Cam  Culture  {On.) 

Ear  of  corn,  unQgw§''ya'  un^hu-'da'. 

Cornstalk,   uheie'. 

Leaves  of  the  corn,  udji^wa^sa'. 

Silk,  uge'eda'. 

Tassel,  ugw^'da'haa'. 

Cornfield,  un?'ha'  gaie'ntwi'. 

In  the  field,  gah^dagg'wa'. 

Hill  of  corn,  gana'g^'sh^'. 

Corn-cob,  unQ'gw§"ya'. 


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OTHER    SEEDS    AND    GRAINS. 


The  wild  oat  or  rice  {Zizania  aquatica)  appears  to  have 
been  occasionally  used  by  the  Iroquois,  although  it  was  employed 
extensively  by  surrounding  tribes. ' 

The  sunflower  (On.,  uwe'wfsa')  was  frequently  cultivated, 
either  together  with  corn  and  beans,  or  in  patches  by  itself,  and^ 
furnished  an  oil'  which  was  highly  esteemed.  The  Hurons  and 
Iroquois  generally  are  said  to  have  sown  but  little  of  it,  though 
they  made  from  it  an  oil  "to  annoint  themselves."*  The  In- 
dians of  Virginia  made  of  it  "both  a  kinde  of  bread  and  broth."'. 

The  oil  was  said,  by  a  Mohawk  informant,  to  have  been 
made  by  roasting  the  seeds  slightly,  then  pounding  them  in  a 
mortar,  after  which  the  material  was  boiled  and  the  oil  skimmed 
off.« 

The  oil,  at  present,  is  used  principally  for  ceremonial  pur- 
poses, such  as  the  anointing  of  the  masks  used  by  the  False- 
face  society.  It  was  also  stated  by  Chief  Gibson  to  be  good  for 
the  hair  and  to  prevent  it  from  falling  out  or  changing  colour. 

Other  seeds  were  no  doubt  used  by  the  Iroquois  at  times. 
An  indefinite  reference  in  the  Relations,  for  instance,  states  that 
the  Iroquois  gave  to  Lalement  "certain  seeds  to  eat — ^but  so 
insipid  and  so  dangerous  that  they  served  as  a  very  quick  poison 
to  those  who  knew  not  how  to  prepare  them."' 


'  Carr,  Foods  of  Certain  American  Indians,  Amer.  Antiq. 
Soc.  Proc,  N.S.,  vol.  X,  p.  179. 
Parker,  Bulletin  144,  N.  Y.  Educ.  Dept.,  p.  109. 
Lafitau,  Moeurs  des  Sauvages,  Ameriquains,'  tome  II,  pp.  95^  96. 
'  Charlevoix,  A  Voyage  to  North  America,  vol.  II,  p.  91. 
'Oil:    u'na'  (On.). 
Sunflower  oil:    awaij'sa'u'na  (Ca.). 

*  Lafitau,  Moeurs  des  Sauvages  Ameriquains,  tome  II,  p.  95. 
'  Hariot,  A  brief e  and  true  report,  p.  26. 

For  use  by  Iroquois  as  a  food,  see  corn  recipes,  also  beverages. 

*  Simon  Bumberry,  Brant  County  reserve. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXXI,  p.  91. 


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CORN    RECIPES.! 

The  many  ways  employed  by  the  Iroquois  for  preparing 
animal  and  vegetable  foods  have  been  frequently  commented 
upon.  There^were  also  ways  of  combining  these  products  which 
gave  an  almost  unlimited  variety. 

Forty  methods  of  cooking  corn  are  frequently  mentioned.* 
Dumont  speaks  of  forty-two  ways  as  known  among  the  Indians 
of  Louisiana.'  Le  Jeune  refers  to  twenty  ways  observed  among 
the  Hurons.*  There  are  indications,  also,  which  suggest  that 
recipes  were  derived  by  borrowing  from  surrounding  nations, 
as  were  other  cultural  ideas. 

A  very  large  proportion  of  Iroquois  foods  were  evidently  of 
a  liquid  nature.  This  is  substantiated  by  the  numerous  refer- 
ences to  soups  and  broths  prepared  from  ripe  and  unripe  corn, 
beans,  squashes,  meats,  and  other  materials. 

These  were  easily  prepared,  were  usually  nourishing,  and 
also  answered  the  purposes  of  a  beverage,  but  may  have  been 
responsible  for  cases  of  decayed  teeth  found.'  Preparations  of 
this  kind  are  still  very  popular,  although  more  variety  has 
since  been  introduced. 


•  Information  and  demonstrations  regarding  the  preparation  of  corn 
were  obtained  from  a  number  of  people,  including  Chief  and  Mrs.  Gibson, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  John,  and  Mrs.  Simon  Bumberry,  Brant  County  reserve; 
Mrs.  David  Williams  and  Mrs.  Tommy  Day,  Oneidatown.  Individual  items 
were  also  secured  from  a  large  number  of  others. 

'  Boyle,  Dr.  David,  Ontario  Arch.  Rep.,  1898,  p.  189. 

'  Dumont,  Mimoires  sur  La  Louisiane,  Paris,  1753,  vol.  I,  pp.  33-34. 

*  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  X,  p.  103;  twelve  ways,  Los- 
kiel,  Hist,  of  Mission,  etc.,  p.  67;  eight  ways,  Champlain,  Voyages,  vol.  Ill, 
pp.  162-164. 

'  The  causes  of  decay  in  teeth  are  not  definitely  known.  The  lack  of  foods 
requiring  vigprous  chewing,  which  keeps  the  teeth  clean  naturally,  is  probably 
a  factor.  It  has  also  been  suggested  that  starchy  foods,  of  which  the  Iroquois , 
used  a  large  amount,  ferment  and  attack  the  enamel,  thus  forming  a 
nidus  for  the  germs  causing  decay.  A  marked  difference  between  Iroquois 
teeth  and  those  of  tribes  using  fewer  starchy  foods  and  more  meat  has  been 
found  by  Mr.  F.  H.  S.  Knowles,  physical  anthopologist  for  the  Geological 
Survey,  the  amount  of  decay  being  much  less  among  the  tribes  last  mentioned. 


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Boiled  Corn  Bread — gahd'^gu'^gwa'  {On.). 

After  the  corn  has  been  hulled  and  washed  (Plates  XVII 
and  XVI),  it  is  placed  in  the  mortar  and  pounded  to  a  meal  or 
flour.  As  the  pounding  progresses  the  fine  sifting  basket  is 
frequently  brought  into  requisition  (Plate  XIX).  The  hand 
is  used  to  dip  the  meal  out  of  the  mortar  into  the  sifter.  The 
large  bread  pan  is  often  set  on  top  of  the  mortar  and  the  sifter 
shaken  in  both  hands.  The  coarser  particles  are  thrown  into  a 
second  bowl  or  tray  and  are  finally  dumped  back  into  the  mortar 
to  be  repounded. 

A  hollow  is  next  made  in  the  flour  and  enough  boiling  water 
poured  into  it  to  make  a  stiff  paste.  Usage  differs  somewhat 
in  this  respect,  cold  water  being  used  by  some  for  mixing.  The 
stirring  paddle  is  often  employed  at  first,  after  which  the  paste 
is  kneaded  with  the  hands.  Dried  huckleberries,  blackberries, 
elderberries,  strawberries,  or  beans  may  be  incorporated  in  the 
mixture,  beans  apparently  enjoying  the  greatest  favour.  The 
latter  are  previously  cooked  just  so  that  they  will  remain  whole 
or  nearly  so.  Currants  or  raisins  are  sometimes  used  at  present 
Formerly  the  kernels  of  walnuts  and  butternuts  were  employed 
in  the  same  way. 

A  lump  of  paste  is  next  broken  off,  or  about  a  double  hand- 
ful. This  is  tossed  in  the  hands,  which  are  kept  moistened  with 
cold  water,  until  it  becomes  rounded  in  form ;  the  surplus  material 
forms  a  core  at  one  side,  usually  the  right,  and  is  finally  broken 
off.  The  lump  is  now  slapped  back  and  forth  between  the  palms, 
though  resting  rather  more  on  the  left  hand ;  and  is  at  the  same 
time  given  a  rotary  motion  until  a  disk  is  formed  about  1|  to  1| 
inches  thick  and  about  7  inches  in  diameter.  ^  Boiling  water 
for  mixing  is  stated  to  make  the  cakes  firmer  and  better  to 
handle.     No  salt  nor  other  such  ingredients  are  used. 

The  loaves  are  immediately  slid  into  a  pot  of  boiling  water 
from  the  paddle  or  from  between  the  hands  and  are  supported 


1  Informants,  Mrs.  Peter  John  and  others. 
Bartram,  Observations,  pp.  60,  61,  in  describing  a  t'epast  eaten  at  a  con- 
ference held  at  Onondaga  Castle,  N.Y.,  in  1743,  states  that  the  cakes  of  boiled 
bread  were  6  or  7  inches  in  diameter  and  about  2  thick. 


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\ 
on  edge  by  placing  the  paddle  against  them  until  all  are  in. 
The  bread  paddle,  or  sometimes  a  special  circular  turning  paddle, 
is  used  to  rotate  the  cakes  a  little  when  partly  done,  so  as  to 
cook  all  parts  alike. 

An  hour  is  usually  required  for  cooking,  though  the  comple- 
tion of  the  operation  is  indicated  when  the  cakes  show  a  tendency 
to  float,  or  when  the  steam  is  given  out  equally  all  over  when  a 
cake  is  lifted  out.  The  bread  paddle  is  also  employed  in  remov- 
ing the  bread  from  the  pot.  When  a  batch  is  too  large  for  the 
pot,  some  of  the  cakes  are  boiled  for  five  or  six  minutes,  then 
removed  and  baked  in  a  pan  in  the  oven. 

Boiled  corn  bread,  while  not  light  in  the  ordinary  sense,  is 
decidedly  tasty  when  newly  made.  It  may  be  sliced  and  eaten 
either  hot  or  cold  with  butter,  gravy,  or  maple  syrup.  An 
Oneidatown  informant  states  that  it  is  often  sliced  and  fried  in 
butter  as  we  fry  cornmeal  or  oatmeal  mush. 

Lafitau  remarks  of  corn  bread  that  "nothing  is  heavier  or 
more  insipid;  it  is  a  mass  of  flour  kneaded  without  regard  to 
cleanliness,  without  either  leaven  or  salt.  They  cover  it  with 
corn  leaves  and  cook  it  in  the  ashes  or  in  the  kettle.  They 
often  also,  add  oil,  grease,  beans  and  fruits.  It  is  then  still 
more  disagreeable."  He  admits,  however,  that  it  is  best  when 
freshly  cooked.^ 

The  boiling  of  the  corn  in  ashes,  in  bread-making,  was  some- 
times omitted.  A  kettleful  of  water  was  brought  to  the  boiling 
point,  according  to  a  Cayuga  informant."  The  ripe  corn  was 
added  and  boiled  until  softened  a  little.  It  was  then  drained  in 
the  washing  basket,  allowed  to  dry  slightly,  then  pounded,  sifted, 
and  made  into  flour.  This  kind  of  flour  is  called  gan^hana*- 
w?''di'  (On.).  A  similar  omission  is  found  in  the  Huron  process 
of  bread-making  as  recorded  by  Sagard.' 

Loaves  of  corn  bread*  were  frequently  carried  along  while 
travelling,  though  parched  corn  flour  sweetened  with  maple  sugar 

'  Lafitau,  Moeurs,  vol.  II,  p.  94. 

'Mrs.  Peter  John. 

'  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  94. 

<Champlain,  Voyages,  vol.  Ill,  p.  118,  states  that  corn,  corn  bread 
squashes,  and  fish  were  in  common  use  among  the  Hurons  and  that  meat  of 
other  kinds  was  scarce. 


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was  a  more  popular  material.  The  use  of  corn  bread  for  this 
purpose  is  indicated  in  the  word  "johnny-cake"  from  "journey- 
cake."  The  ash-cake,  hoe-cake,  and  pone  are  other  European 
adoptions. 

Boiled  bread,  according  to  Chief  Gibson,  was  frequently 
used  as  wedding  bread.  A  girl  cooked  twenty  cakes  of  corn 
bread  with  berries  in  them.  These  were  taken  to  the  house  of 
the  young  man,  where  they  were  cut  up  and  given  to  friends  and 
relatives  who  were  assembled. 

Bread  was  sometimes  made  of  other  materials,  such  as  beans 
and  acorns,  the  latter  being  boiled  in  lye  to  remove  the  bitter 
taste;  also  of  roots,  such  as  those  of  the  yellow  pond  lily  and 
others.  Loskiel  remarks  that  the  Iroquois  made  use  of  many 
wild  herbs  and  roots,  including  parsnips,  of  which  they  made  a 
kind  of  bread.^ 

It  is  likely  that  other  roots,  s^eds,  and  fruits  were  formerly 
used  in  bread-making.  A  suggestion  of  the  former  use  of  haws 
in  this  connexion  is  found  in  the  name  djtgahe"dis  (On.)^  which 
is  applied  to  such  species  as  Crataegus  pruinosa  and  Crataegus 
submolUs. 

The  corn  preferred  for  bread  is  almost  invariably  of  the 
starchy  or  "bread  corn"  variety,  which  includes  the  white  or 
Tuscarora,  also  the  red,  purple,  and  calico  or  variegated  varieties. 
The  flint  or  hominy  corns  are  said  to  be  sometimes  employed, 
but  are  considered  to  be  less  suitable.  An  Onondaga  informant 
furnishes  the  information  that  a  long-eared  flint  corn  called 
unaha'ij'wt"  uw^we'idji's,  makes  a  good,  sweet  bread.  The  corn 
is  pounded,  sifted,  and  winnowed  without  being  boiled  in  cishes.' 

Baked  Corn  Bread — ogqhagg'wa'  •wata'^ggda''g^a'   (On.). 

The  name  signifies  "under  the  ashes  cooked,"  and  is  applied 
to  bread  baked  in  the  embers,  or  on  flat  stones  placed  over  the 


*  Loskiel,  History  of  Missions,  pt.  I,  p.  68. 

'  The  name  is  said  to  signify  "use  for  bread." 

'  Peter  John. 


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fire.  This  seems  to  have  been  formerly  in  much  favour,*  Its 
disuse  is  probably  owing  to  the  abandonment  of  the  open  fire- 
place and  to  the  general  adoption  of  European  foods. 

The  mixture  used  was  practically  the  same  as  for  boiled 
bread.  About  three-quarters  of  an  hour  was  required  for  cook- 
ing. As  the  loaves  baked  somewhat  more  quickly  on  top,  they 
were  turned  over  to  be  evenly  done.  To  tell  when  they  were 
finished,  the  cakes  were  tapped  with  the  finger.  If  not  sufficiently 
cooked,  they  felt  heavy  to  the  touch,  and  when  done,  felt 
lighter  and  more  spongy.  The  last  part  of  the  operation  was  to 
wash  them  in  cold  water  to  free  them  from  ashes  or  cinders.* 

The  Senecas  are  said  to  have  omitted  the  beans  or  berries. 
On  the  other  hand,  several  informants  at  Grand  River,  Ontario, 
state  specifically  that  beans,  berries,  and  sometimes  maple  sugar 
were  included  in  the  baked  corn  bread  mixture.  Adair  remarks 
the  use  of  a  similar  food  among  the  Choctaw  and  Chickasaw.* 

Mrs.  John  Williams  (Mo.)  of  Caughnawaga  states  that  red 
beans  used  to  be  mixed  with  the  paste  for  baked  corn  bread,  and 
the  whole  covered  with  cabbage  leaves  or  corn  husks.  Boiled 
bread' is  the  only  kind  made  there  now. 

Peter  John,  Grand  River,  Ontario,  relates  that  some  fifty 
or  sixty  years  ago  a  fire  was  frequently  made  in  the  open  field, 
while  they  were  harvesting  or  husking  corn,  and  bread  baked  in 
the  ashes  in  the  old-fashioned  manner. 

A  single  cake  of  this  bread  was  said  by  John  Echo  (On.) 
to  have  formerly  been  placed  in  the  coffin  with  a  corpse.* 


'  Champlain,  Voyages,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  162-164,  furnishes  one  of  the  earliest 
descriptions  of  the  process. 

"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  John. 

'  Adair,  History  of  the  American  Indians,  p.  407. 

*  Besides  the  food  which  is  set  aside  for  the  dead  at  wakes  and  which 
they  are  supposed  to  require  for  their  own  consumption,  a  little  is  sometimes 
put  into  the  hand.  This  is  to  be  thrown  to  a  savage  cat  and  dog  which  guard 
a  bridge  over  which  the  dead  have  to  pass.  While  the  animals  are  devouring 
the  food  the  dead  person  slips  over  in  safety.  Informant,  Peter  Atkins 
(Mo.)  and  others.  Grand  River,  Ontario. 


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Other  Terms  Used. 

Corn  bread,  gana'daluk  (Oneida). 

Washed  corn  bread,  ganasto'hal'  gana'daluk  (Oneida). 

Hulled  corn  bread,  gage^ho'tcq  oha"gwa'  (On.). 

Boiled  bread,  yena'deros  ganadarokywe'  (Mo.). 

Baked  corn  bread,  o'ggro'gy  ygdena'dary'ta'  (Mo.). 

Corn  flour  or  meal,  ote'tsha'  (On.). 

Indian  meal  (modern  yellow  meal),  djitgwai'agg  ote'tsha' 

(On.). 
Nut  meats  (general  term),  u'nie'e'  (On.). 
(The  first  term  given  is  general.     The  three  following  are 
synonymous). 

Soup  from  Corn  Bread  Liquor — uha'gwa'gei'  (On.). 

Soup  is  often  made  from  the  liquor  left  after  boiling  corn 
bread.  The  coarser  particles  left  after  grinding  and  sifting  the 
bread  meal  may  be  added.  ^  The  mixture  may  be  sweetened 
with  maple  sugar,  or  it  may  be  seasoned  with  salt  cind  butter. 
The  name  une'sda'  (On.),  or  une'sda'  onp'daa',  is  applied  to  the 
preparation,  a  term  which  is  sometimes  translated  as  "Indian 
rice."  Still  another  variant  is  made  by  adding  sweet  milk  or 
buttermilk  and  sweetening  with  maple  or  granulated  sugar. 
It  is  then  called  uha'gwa'gei'  unQ'daa'  (On.).  The  liquor  is 
also  drunk  as  a  beverage  along  with  the  corn  bread.^ 

Another  use  to  which  the  liquor  is  put  is  in  the  preparation 
of  food  for  infants.  The  latter  are  said  to  have  been  sometimes 
put  to  death  by  the  Onondagas,  when  the  mother  died,  by  way 
of  making  sure  that  they  should  not  suffer  from  neglect.  The 
breast  was  the  usual  method  of  feeding  until  the  child  became 
large  enough  to  eat  the  ordinary  fare,  which  the  mother  chewed 
first.  When  the  mother  died,  the  father  sometimes  took  corn 
meal  gruel  in  his  mouth  and  let  the  baby  suck  it  out.' 


'  A  Mohawk  name  is  waden4ag5'st(j,  or  "what  is  left.' 
'  Adair,  History,  p.  416. 
'Sagard,  Voyages,  vol.  I,  p.  118. 


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Early  Bread — ti'tganahate"di'  (On.) . 

This  bread  was  made  in  the  early  autumn  from  the  newly- 
ripened  and  undried  corn  and  is  considered  to  be  valuable  for 
invalids.* 

The  linhuUed  corn  is  placed  in  the  mortar,  a  little  water  is 
added  and  the  contents  beaten  to  a  paste.  It  is  then  moulded 
into  loaves,  which  may  be  either  boiled  or  baked  in  a  pan  in  the 
oven. 

Dumplings — udnhg'sta'  (On.). 

The  name  was  translated  as  "rolled  cake  soup."  In  making 
this  the  corn  meal  is  mixed  with  boiling  water  to  a  stiff  paste, 
which  is  moulded  between  the  hands,  dipped  into  cold  water,  and 
made  into  cakes  the  size  of  ordinary  dumplings.  These  are 
dropped  into  boiling  water  or  boiled  along  with  venison,  the  flesh 
of  game  birds,  or  other  meats.  Half  an  hour's  cooking  is  required. 

A  fork  consisting  of  a  sharpened  stick  or  bone  was  formerly 
used  to  hold  the  dumplings  while  they  were  being  eaten  (Figure 
1).  Such  eating  utensils  have  been  used  within  the  memory 
of  many  of  the  older  people. 


Figure  1.  Eating-stick  or  fork  for  holding  dumplings  or  meat.  Actual 
length,  about  8|  inches.  Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum  No.  Ill 
I,  918.     Collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Grand  River  reservation. 

Wedding  Bread — e'gyuda'kwa'  uhd^gwa'  (On.). 

Another  wedding  bread  is  made  as  follows:  a  quantity  of 
ripe  white  or  bread  corn  is  taken,  the  finest  ears  being  selected, 
shelled,  pounded,  and  sifted,  without  the  hulling  process. 
Huckleberries  are  mixed  with  the  meal,  which  is  made  into  bread 
and  boiled  in  the  usual  way. 

Five  or  six  cakes  are  sufficient,  according  to  Chief  Gibson, 
for    a    small    family,    though    Parker    mentions    twenty-four.^ 


1  Parker,  A.  C,  New  York  State  Museum  Bulletin  144,  p.  72. 
'Parker,  A.  C,  New  York  State  Museum  Bulletin  144,  p.  72. 


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These  are  made  by  the  girl's  mother.  The  parents  of  the  young 
man  (plus  the  maternal  grandmother)  and  those  of  the  girl 
having  signified  their  approval,  the  mother,  or  the  maternal 
grandmother  of  the  young  woman,  places  the  cakes  in  a  carrying 
basket  and,  accompanied  by  the  young  woman,  carries  them  to 
the  door  of  the  young  man's  maternal  grandmother.  Here, 
all  being  agreeable,  the  cakes  are  accepted,  the  young  man's 
maternal  grandmother  notifying  his  mother  of  the  proposal 
received.  The  wedding  cakes  are  in  some  instances  left  un- 
touched upon  the  doorstep,  whence  they  are  eventually  removed 
with  much  humiliation. 

The  parents  of  the  young  man,  if  the  suit  is  acceptable, 
next  notify  friends  and  relatives  of  the  family  to  assemble,  when 
the  bread  is  distributed  equally,  and  eaten.  This  food  present 
is  referred  to  as  a  "ratification"  or  an  evidence  that  the  family 
of  the  girl  is  agreeable  to  the  proposal.  The  father  or  male 
relatives  of  the  young  man  furnish  meat  for  the  festivities. 
Venison  or  bear  meat  was  formerly  preferred,  though  veal,  lamb, 
or  beef,  etc.,  are  now  in  use.  The  yOung  man's  mother  fills  the 
empty  basket  which  contained  the  wedding  cakes  and  returns 
it  to  the  girl's  relatives,  saying,  "This  is  our  ratification."  The 
latter  in  their  turn  have  a  family  meeting,  at  which  the  present 
of  meat  and  other  articles  is  consumed. 

A  meeting  of  the  two  families  is  afterward  called,  at  which 
the  chiefs  or  other  leading  men  make  speeches,  give  good  advice 
to  the  newly  married  couple,  and  express  their  pleasure  at  seeing 
these  families  united.  Old  customs,  however,  in  this  respect, 
have  been  so  largely  discontinued  that  the  complete  marriage 
ceremony  is  seldom  carried  out  at  present. 

A  variant  of  wedding  bread  was  made  like  ordinary  boiled 
bread;  but,  instead  of  being  made  into  rounded  cakes  or  loaves, 
it  was  divided  into  smaller  portions,  which  were  formed  into 
double  packages  by  tying  them  in  corn-husks.  Peter  John  and 
wife  stated  that  corn  leaves  were  frequently  used  for  this  (Plate 
XXXIII,  fig.  c). 

A  variation  of  this  recipe  was  given  by  Chief  Gibson,  who 
stated  that  a  quantity  of  hulled  corn  meal  is  prepared.  Pumpkin 
is  sliced,  boiled  to  a  thin  mush,  and  mixed  with  the  meal  and 


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berries.  The  double  packages  are  made  in  the  following  manner: 
some  dried  corn  husks  are  taken  and  a  number  tied  together  at 
one  end  with  basswood  bark;  some  of  the  paste  is  filled  into  the 
husks,  which  are  finally  tied  at  the  other  end  and  again  in  the 
middle,  forming  a  package  somewhat  like  a  small  dumbbell. 
These  are  boiled  for  an  hour  and  are  usually  eaten  with  butter. 

The  use  of  this  form  of  corn  bread  at  quite  an  ancient  date 
among  the  Iroquois  is  indicated  by  Sagard,  who  describes  it  as 
"the  bread  made  like  two  b^Hs  joined  together."  The  Huron 
name  was  "coinkia."' 

There  seems  to  have  been  formerly  a  definite  connexion 
between  the  double  wedding  bread  package  and  the  idea  of  mar- 
riage. Peter  John  described  it  as  indicating  that  there  was 
"enough  bread  for  two  together."  There  may  have  been  an  idea 
that  the  double  package  would  act  as  a  charm  to  hold  the  two 
together.  Another  item  regarding  the  significance  of  wedding 
bread  packages  was  furnished  by  a  Seneca  residing  at  Tonawanda, 
N.Y.,  who  stated  that  formerly,  when  a  marriage  occurred  at  a 
suitable  season,  the  present  made  by  the  young  man's  relatives 
to  those  of  the  young  woman  sometimes  consisted  of  green  corn, 
done  up  in  a  single  corn-leaf  package  of  rounded  form  (Plate 
XXXIII,  fig.  a).  This  bread  was  called  in  Seneca,  degang- 
hj'stia'gQ  a''gwa'   (panis  uno  testiculo  similis). 

Corn  and  Pumpkin  Bread — dega'nigsayi'sdi'  uha"gwa'  {On.). 

Com  and  pumpkin  were  frequently  combined  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  foods.  For  bread-making,  the  corn  is  hulled  and  pounded 
into  meal.  A  quantity  of  the  pumpkin  is  sliced  and  boiled  to  a 
thin  mush.  It  is  then  mixed  with  the  cornmeal,  to  which  black- 
berries or  huckleberries  have  also  been  added.  Basswood  leaves 
are  placed  on  the  bottom  and  sides  of  a  pan,  into  which  the  paste 
is  then  emptied,  covered  with  more  basswood  leaves,  and  placed 
in  the  oven  to  bake.     The  name  signifies  "pumpkin  mixed." 


^  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  94. 


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Corn   and   Pumpkin   Pudding — udji'sgwa'   or  dega'nvgsayi'sdi'- 
udji'sgwa'.   (On.). 

The  pumpkin  is  boiled,  as  before,  to  a  thin  mush.  A  quan- 
tity of  ripe  corn  is  parched,  pounded  in  the  mortar,  and  sifted 
to  a  fine  meal.  The  latter  is  then  stirred  into  the  pumpkin 
with  a  paddle,  until  it  is  of  the  proper  thickness.  Maple  sugar 
is  added  to  sweeten,  also  a  little  lard.  The  mass  thickens  up  like 
a  pudding,  after  which  it  is  ready  for  eating. 

Parched  Corn  Travelling  Food — uninhg"da'  (On.). 

There  was  apparently  no  more  popular  travelling  or  hunting 
food  than  this  preparation  in  olden  times.  It  was  light,  nourish- 
ing, and  could  be  eaten  either  cooked  or  raw.  It  is  rarely  used 
at  present,  except  on  certain  ceremonial  occasions,  such  as  False- 
Face  Society  functions. 

In  making  it,  the  white  Tuscarora  and  other  kinds  of  bread 
corn  are  employed.  The  ripe  corn  is  shelled,  parched  slightly 
in  the  embers,  as  for  popping,  thrown  into  the  mortar,  some  maple 
sugar  added,  and  the  whole  pounded  and  sifted  together  to  a 
rather  fine  meal.  When  intended  for  pudding  or  soups,  rather 
than  for  eating  raw,  the  maple  sugar  may  be  left  out.  Dried 
fruit,  such  as  cherries,  is  said  to  have  been  pulverized  with  it  at 
times. 

Sugar  is  not  used  when  the  food  is  intended  for  hunters  or 
for  athletes,  as  it  would  make  them  dizzy  (the  sugar  being  de- 
rived from  the  maple,  the  branches  of  which  sway  about  in  the 
wind).  The  uninhQ"da'  is  also  at  times  mixed  up  with  chopped 
meat. 

It  was  prepared  for  use  in  several  ways.  It  might  be  eaten 
raw  in  small  quantities,  though  more  than  a  small  handful  was 
considered  dangerous  without  cooking,  on  account  of  its  tendency 
to  swell.  On  hunting  expeditions  or  in  time  of  war  a  small  wooden 
cup  or  bowl  was  carried  along.  A  little  water  was  taken  in 
this  and  a  small  amount  of  the  meal  added.  ^  When  game  was 
found  or  when  the  enemy  was  vanquished,  it  was  added  to  the 


1  See  Beverages;   informant,  Thomas  Key,  Brant  County  reserve. 


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venison  or  other  provisions  secured.  Bartram  notes  of  this 
food  that  "about  one-quarter  of  a  pound,  diluted  in  a  pint  of 
water,  is  a  hearty  travelHng  dinner."^ 

Historical  references  to  the  food  are  numerous,  showing 
conclusively  its  common  use  throughout  the  Iroquois  and  Algon- 
kin  region.*  Champlain  states  that  very  dry  Indian  corn  was 
used  in  its  manufacture.  It  was  roasted  in  ashes,  brayed  to  a 
meal  and,  in  preparing  it  for  food,  they  cooked  a  large  quantity 
of  fish  and  meat,  cut  it  into  pieces,  skimmed  off  the  fat,  and  added 
the  meal  of  roasted  corn,  cooking  the  whole  to  a  thick  soup. 
This  was  among  the  Huron  and  eastern  Algonkins.'  Beverly 
also  furnishes  some  information :  The  Indians  of  Virginia  fre- 
quently took  with  them  on  their  journeys  "a  Pint  or  Quart  of 
Rockahomonie,  that  is,  the  finest  Indian  corn,  parched  and  beaten 
to  a  powder.  When  they  find  their  stomachs  empty  (and  cannot 
stay  the  tedious  Cookery  of  other  things)  they  put  about  a  spoon- 
ful of  this  into  their  Mouths,  and  drink  a  Draught  of  Water  upon 
it,  which  stays  in  their  stomachs."* 

A  Tonawanda  informant  described  its  use  by  Seneca  ath- 
letes in  running.  A  decoction  should  also  be  prepared  of  the 
toad  rush,  Juncus  bufonius,  the  fact  of  its  growing  beside  the 
runner's  pathway  being  considered  significant.  A  handful  of 
the  plant  is  steeped  in  nearly  a  pailful  of  water.  The  idea  is  to 
provoke  vomiting.  The  person  using  it  must  drink  about  two 
quarts  the  first  time,  vomit,  drink  the  same  quantity,  and  vomit 
again.  The  face  and  body  are  also  washed  with  the  liquid. 
This  is  done  about  three  times  during  the  week  before  the  race. 
Only  sweet  milk  and  Indian  corn  bread,  ^gwe^^wc  a^gwa'  (Sen.), 
are  to  be  eaten.  A  quantity  of  the  scorched  cornmeal  is  carried 
along  to  eat  while  running,  a  little  being  taken  now  and  again. 
The  Seneca  name  for  the  meal  is  wad§'*sondak  one'Q,  or  "burnt 


'  Bartram,  Observations,  p.  71. 

•Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  142;  also  p.  95. 

Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXIII,  p.  187. 

Van  der  Donck,  N.  Y.  Hist.  Soc.  Coll.,  series  2,  vol.  I,  pp.  193,  194. 
'  Champlain,  Voyages,  vol.  Ill,  pp.  162-164. 
*  Beverly,  Hist,  of  Virginia,  p.  ISS. 


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corn."     Mrs.  John  Williams  of  Caughnawaga  gave  wangihgo's^t 
o'ngsde'  as  a  Mohawk  equivalent. 

Hulled  Corn  Soup — un^ha'se"  unahwgwa'  (On.). 

The  name  for  this  may  be  translated  as  "corn  not  quite 
ripe  yet  soup."  This  is  a  favourite  dish  with  the  Iroquois  both 
at  the  longhouse  and  at  social  gatherings.  The  corn  is  taken 
when  it  has  become  quite  firm,  but  not  yet  perfectly  ripe;  it 
is  then  boiled  with  ashes,  hulled  and  washed,  boiled  for  half  an 
hour  and  washed  again,  much  the  same  as  for  corn  bread. 

Next,  according  to  one  popular  recipe,  it  is  placed  along 
with  meat,  game,  or  with  green  beans  in  the  pod,  boiled  slowly 
for  about  two  hours,  then  seasoned  to  taste.  Mrs.  John  Williams 
of  Caughnawaga  mentioned  the  use  of  hulled  corn  boiled  with 
beans  and  meat.    A  Mohawk  name  for  this  is  ongt'sdo. 

By  another  method,  the  hulled  corn,  after  being  duly  pre- 
pared, is  thrown  into  the  mortar  along  with  a  little  water  and 
crushed  slightly.  It  is  then  placed  in  a  pot  or  kettle,  some  water 
added,  also  berries  and  a  little  sugar,  after  which  it  is  boiled 
until  done.  With  the  berries  added  it  is  called  un^ha'se"  wahi- 
yu^wi'  (On.),  and  in  any  case  makes  a  very  palatable  dish.  It  is 
frequently  used  at  festivals,  such  as  the  Big  Green  Corn  Dance. 

Corn  Soup  with  Nut  Meats — u'nie-'e'  wne^ga-'gec'  {On.). 

Nut  meats  of  various  kinds  may  be  added  to  corn  soup 
Beechnuts  were  given  by  a  Tonawanda  informant'  as  a  popular; 
ingredient  there,  also  dried  apples. 

The  kernels  are  pounded  in  the  mortar,  sifted,  and  added 
to  the  soup,  which  is  stirred  from  time  to  time  cuid  seasoned 
with  salt  and  pepper. 

Corn  Soup  with  Sunflower  Seeds — ue'w^"sa'  u'ne^ga-'gei'   (On.). 

Sunflower  seeds  are  pounded  and  sifted  to  a  fine  meal. 
Soup  of  ripe  corn  and  beans  is  prepared  in  the  usual  way.  The 
sunflower  meal  is  added,  forming  a  very  rich  soup.  This  is 
also  seasoned  according  to  taste. 


1  Barber  Black. 


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Hominy — ung'daa'  (jDn.). 

Probably  no  corn  or  other  food  is  referred  to  so  frequently 
as  hominy,  or  sagamit6,  as  it  was  more  familiarly  known  to  the 
early  French.  It  was  extremely  simple  of  preparation,  very  often 
being  little  more  than  cornmeal  and  water.  A  reference  in 
the  Relations  to  Huron  customs  remarks  that  "the  best  food 
usually  eaten  there  is  only  a  paste  made  with  meal  of  Indian 
corn  boiled  in  water. "' 

The  Relation  of  1640  states:  "Our  entire  nourishment  con- 
sists of  a  sort  of  soup  made  of  Indian  corn,  crushed  between  two 
stones,  or  pounded  in  a  mortar,  and  seasoned  with  smoked 
fish, — this  served  in  a  large  wooden  dish.""  A  reference  to  an 
smcient  Seneca  form  of  sagamit6  speaks  of  "Indian  corn  and  beans 
cooked  in  clear  water,  without  seasoning."'  The  Relation  of 
1638-39  notes  that  "Sometimes  the  savages  put  in  pieces  of 
cinders  to  season  the  sagamit^,  at  other  times  a  handful  of  little 
water-flies,  which  are  like  the  gnats  of  Provence.  .  .  The 
more  prudent  keep  some  fish  after  the  fishing  season,  to  break 
into  the  sagamitd  during  the  year;  .  .  .  the  more  tainted 
the  fish  is  the  better.*  As  for  drinks,  they  do  not  know  what 
these  are, — the  sagamitd  serving  as  meat  and  drink."^  Loskiel 
also  calls  it  one  of  the  most  common  of  Iroquois  foods, 

Sagard,  after  describing  the  Huron  dish  called  eschionque, 
or  sagamit6,  made  of  parched  corn,  flour,  informs  us  that  "for 
ordinary  sagamit^,  which  they  call  ottet,  raw  corn  is  used,  made 
into  flour,  without  separating  the  latter  from  the  coarser  portion, 
which  they  cook  plain,  with  a  little  meat  or  fish,  if  they  have 
such,  and  also  mixing  at  times  squashes  cut  into  pieces,  if  it 
should  be  their  season,  and  often  enough  nothing  at  all;  for 
fear  that  the  meal  may  stick  to  the  pot,  they  stir  it  frequently 
with  the  estoqua,  then  eat  it."'  Oil  is  also  mentioned  in  another 
Relation  as  a  favourite  ingredient  of  "sagamita."" 

1  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXXV,  p.  153  (1649-50). 

Mbid.,  vol.  XVIII,  p.  11. 

'  Ibid.,  vol.  XLII,  p.  71. 

*  Champlain,  Voyages,  vol,  III,  pp.  162-164,  mentions  a  food  of  this  char- 
acter in  which  tainted  fish  was  used. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XV,  p.  163. 

•  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  95. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  vol.  V,  p.  286. 


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Roger  Williams  applies  the  name  of  nasa^ump  (samp)  to 
"a  kind  of  Meale  Pottage,  unpartch'd."  He  further  remarks 
that  "the  English  samp  is  corn,  beaten  and  boiled  and  eaten 
hot  or  cold  with  milk  or  butter."  This  was  among  the  "Nari- 
ganset"  and  neighbouring  tribes.^ 

Hominy,  properly  speaking,  is  prepared  from  the  flint  corn. 
The  ordinary  procedure  is  to  place  a  suitable  quantity  of  the 
shelled  grain  into  the  mortar.  A  little  water  is  added,  say  a 
ladleful  or  three  or  four  tablespoonfuls,  sometimes  also  a  very 
small  quantity  of  soda.  The  corn  is  pounded  slowly  at  first, 
in  order  to  loosen  the  hulls,  then  more  vigorously,  until  it  is 
broken  up  into  coarse  particles.  It  is  then  sifted,  the  coarser 
replaced  in  the  mortar,  and  the  pounding  continued.  The 
portion  left  after  the  second  sifting  is  thrown  away.  The  meal 
is  next  winnowed  by  tossing  in  a  bowl  or  basket,  the  latter  re- 
ceptacle being  held  so  as  to '  expose  the  contents  as  much  as 
possible  to  the  wind.  The  coarser  hulls  are  frequently  brushed 
away  with  the  wing  of  a  fowl.^  A  bark  fan  is  referred  to  by 
Sagard,'  who  also  mentions  the  "plat  k  vanner,"  or  flat  vessel 
used  for  winnowing.*  Loskiel  apparently  refers  to  this  pro- 
cedure in  one  of  his  "twelve  ways  of  dressing  corn,"  where  he 
mentions  that  "they  grind  it  as  fine  as  flour  by  means  of  a  wooden 
pestle  and  mortar,  clear  it  from  the  husk  and  make  a  thick 
pottage  of  it."° 

UnQ'daa',  or  corn  soup,  may  also  be  made  from  other  kinds 
of  corn,  such  as  popcorn,  which  is  really  a  flint,  and  from  bread 
corn,  hulled  in  the  ordinary  way  and  ground  to  a  meal.  An 
Oneidatown  informant"  stated  that  the  name  ononda"  is  applied 
there  to  hulled  and  crushed  corn  mush  cooked  without  meat, 
also  to  a  soup  prepared  with  meat.  Beans  may  also  be  used. 
The  latter  are  cooked  separately  so  as  to  keep  them  whole, 
and  at  the  proper  time  they  are  added  to  the  corn  soup.     Pork, 


'Williams,  Roger,  Key,  p.  33. 
'  Informant,  Peter  John  (On.). 

•  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  95. 

*  See  also  Smith's  Virginia  in  Pinkerton's  Voyages,  vol.  13,  p.  32. 
'  Loskiel,  History,  p.  67. 

'  Henry  Danford. 


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beef,  chicken,  etc.,  are  often  used  as  a  basis.  Another  inform- 
ant' from  the  same  locality  stated  that  a  mush  of  hulled  corn, 
pounded  to  quite  a  fine  mccil,  is  made  and  eaten  with  or  without 
milk  and  sugar,  in  the  same  way  as  rice  or  porridge.  Still 
another  Oneidatown  recipe  refers  to  the  use  of  salmon — dodia"  oy . 
The  fish  was  hung  up  in  the  sun  until  rotten.  A  pointed  stick 
was  stuck  into  the  abdomen,  letting  the  rotted  flesh  and  other 
contents  run  into  a  dish  or  pot  of  ononda".  These  were  cooked 
together  and  were  considered  delicious. 

At  the  Oneidatown  Bear  Dance,  the  foods  used  are  cracked 
corn  soup  with  beans  and  sugar,  also  a  green  corn  dish  called 
ho'la*.  Hominy,  in  the  shape  of  soup  or  mush,  is  used  at  other 
ceremonial  festivities,  including  the  Strawberry  Dance.  A 
Seneca  name  applied  to  this  dish  is  ononda'a'.  The  same 
name  is  sometimes  used  for  a  green  corn  soup,  or  to  a  soup  made 
of  the  whole  grain  hulled  by  boiling  in  ashes. 

Coarse  Hominy — oncsdwwane's  (On.). 

Soup  made  from  a  coarse  hominy  meal  is  frequently  called 
ontsdu'wane's,  a  word  signifying  "coarse  particles."  Sunflower 
oil  or  butter  may  be  added. 

Dried  Pumpkin  Hominy — una'wijgaa'  ung'daa'  (jOn.). 

Another  variant  of  hominy  is  made  by  boiling  the  coarse 
meal  (ontsdu'wane's)  to  a  thin  mush.  Dried  pumpkin  is  pre- 
viously put  into  water,  pounded  slightly,  sifted  in  the  coarse 
hominy  basket,  and  added  to  the  boiling  hominy.  It  should 
boil  for  about  two  hours.  It  is  eaten  with  milk  and  sugar. 
The  name  means  "dried  pumpkin  hominy." 

Early  Hominy — degan^hi'a' gi'  ung'daa'  (On.). 

This  is  a  favourite  dish  about  the  time  the  flint  or  hominy 
corn  has  ripened,  but  has  not  yet  been  dried.  The  grain  is 
shelled,  placed  in  the  mortar,  pounded  lightly  so  as  to  crush  it  a 
little,  then  thrown  into  boiling  water.    Whole  beans  not  quite 


•  Anthony  Day. 


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ripe  are  added;  the  boiling  is  continued  until  the  hominy  is 
cooked.     It  is  then  seasoned  to  suit  with  butter  and  salt. 

A  second  way  is  to  put  in  milk  or  cream  and  sugar  instead 
of  other  seasoning  materials.     This  makes  a  sweet  soup. 

Another  way  is  to  slightly  crush  a  suitable  quantity  of  Jthe 
corn  and  beans  and  boil  these  with  beef,  venison,  or  any  kind 
of  game.     Salt  and  pepper  are  used  for  seasoning. 

Early  Corn  Pudding — utcu^'gwana'wq'  udji'Sgwa'  (On.). 

The  first  step  in  preparing  early  corn  pudding  is  the  same 
as  for  early  bread,  except  that  the  corn  is  pounded  to  a  rather 
moist  meal  which  is  rather  hard  to  sift. 

Some  pork  is  first  boiled  and  the  meal  stirred  into  it  with  a 
paddle,  so  as  to  make,  when  it  begins  to  swell,  a  thick  pudding. 
The  name  was  translated  as  "soft  corn  pudding." 

Popcorn  Mush  or  Pudding — aw^'sg^gwa'  udji'sgwa'  (On.). 

Popcorn,  aw5"SQ"gwa',  is  the  basis  of  a  number  of  dishes 
which  are  highly  in  favour.  It  is  very  commonly  popped  and 
eaten  and  is  considered  a  great  dainty,  as  well  as  a  treat  for 
visitors.  It  was  formerly  popped  by  throwing  it  on  the  hot 
coals  in  an  open  fire-place,  stirring  it  quickly,  then  pulling  it 
out  as  it  popped. 

For  popcorn  pudding,  the  corn  is  first  popped,  then  pounded 
and  sifted,  and  last  of  all  boiled  by  adding  to  hot  water  until  it 
thickens  to  the  consistency  required.  This  is  eaten  with  syrup, 
sugar,  and  milk  or  cream,  also  with  sour  milk. 

Popcorn  Soup  or  Hominy. 

The  meal  is  prepared  in  the  same  way  as  for  the  mush  or 
pudding,  but  was  described  as  being  more  like  hominy,  parti- 
cularly the  kind  called  ontsdu'wane's. 

The  soup  can  be  prepared  in  two  ways:  first,  by  boiling  the 
meal  along  with  some  such  meat  as  venison  or  beef,  adding  salt 
to  season.  This  kind  is  called  u"ne*ga"gei'  (On.).  A  second 
method  is  to  make  a  sweet  soup  by  adding  maple  sugar.  This 
is  cooled  and  eaten  with  milk.  The  Onondaga  name  given  was 
uwenowe'da"get' . 


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Green  Corn  on  the  Cob — gang'gw^"yu'  {On.). 

A  simple  and  always  popular  method  of  cooking  green 
corn  is  to  pluck  it  when  the  kernels  have  become  somewhat 
firm,  but  are  still  milky.  Bread  corn  is  very  commonly  used 
in  this  way,  though  the  sweet  corn,  Zea  mays  saccharata,  is 
considered  best. 

The  ears  are  left  enveloped  in  the  husks,  placed  in  boiling 
water,  and  cooked  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  or  until  considered  done. 
This  was  formerly  eaten  without  seasoning  of  any  sort,  though 
butter  is  often  used  at  present.^ 

A  process  of  parching  or  roasting  is  often  applied  to  boiled 
corn  left  over  from  a  meal,  although  batches  are  often  boiled, 
roasted  slightly,  then  shelled  and  dried  for  winter  use.  This 
way  of  preparing  corn  is  referred  to  by  early  writers. 

The  boiled  green  corn  may  also  be  removed  from  the  cob 
and  dried  without  parching.  This  is  one  of  the  simplest  methods 
of  preservation,  and  is  frequently  mentioned  historically.  Corn 
preserved  in  this  way  may  be  either  cooked  as  a  soup  or  "saga- 
mit6",  or  along  with  venison  and  other  meats.  An  Oneida 
name  given  for  a  soup  of  this  kind  was  ho'la*. 

Succotash — ugg"sda'  ung'daa'  {On.). 

This  food,  like  a  number  of  the  others  mentioned,  was  used 
throughout  a  very  wide  area  in  America,  confirming  the  sug- 
gestion that  food  recipes  were  often  exchanged. 

Carver  speaks  of  succotash  as  being  in  use  among  the 
"Ottagaumies,  Saukies"  and  neighbouring  nations.  This  con- 
sisted of  "unripe  corn  and  beans  in  the  same  state,  boiled  with 
bears'  flesh. "^  The  "Akansea"  and  other  tribes  of  the  southern 
plains  region  were  found  using  similar  recipes.  Sagamit6  made 
of  green  corn  is  mentioned  in  the  same  connexion,  also  green 
corn  seasoned  with  the  peach  and  the  squash.' 


'  Charlevoix,  A  Voyage  to  North  America,  vol.  II,  p.  93. 

2  Carver,  J.,  Travels,  p.  263. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  LXV,  p.  117. 


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Roger  Williams  refers  to  "boiled  corn  whole,"  which  was 
called  by  the  "Nariganset"  msi'ckquatash.^ 

A  Seneca  method  of  making  this  dish  is  to  scrape  off  the 
green  corn  with  a  knife,  pound  the  corn  before  cooking,  then  dip 
out  of  the  mortar  with  a  ladle  the  juice  which  has  been  squeezed 
out  in  the  pounding  process  and  add  it  to  the  boiling  soup.  The 
name  given  was  ononda'a',  which  is  the  general  name  for  soup.^ 

Various  kinds  of  vegetables  in  their  season,  such  as  beans, 
peas,  pumpkins,  were  boiled  with  the  corn.  Mrs.  John  Gibson 
gave  two  methods  for  making  succotash  or  green  corn  soup. 
The  first  was  to  cut  the  corn  from  the  cob  with  a  knife,  or  with 
the  half  of  a  deer's  jaw  with  the  articular  portion  or  ramus 
broken  off  (Plate  VI,  fig.  c).  This  is  called,  in  Onondaga, 
egQsig^'ia'ta'.  The  corn  is  then  placed  in  a  kettle,  some  boiling 
water  added,  also  a  quantity  of  whole  beans  which  are  not 
quite  ripe.  Salt  and  butter  are  added  to  suit  the  taste.  A 
second  way  differed  in  the  seasoning,  which  was  sugar,  that  of 
the  maple  being  preferred  when  convenient.  A  name  received 
at  Caughnawaga  for  green  corn  was  o'hgde'  nigangsto'dgt  (the 
corn  is  green).  A  name  for  green  corn  soup  was  oga'sero'da' 
ongdara'.  The  first  word  in  the  latter  expression  was  said 
to  be  an  old  word  for  green  corn.' 

Parched  Green  Corn  Soup — unahw^gwa'  wadi'djiq'hq.'  (On.). 

Green  corn,  when  nearly  ripe,  is  gathered,  roasted  on  the 
cob  before  the  fire,  or  on  the  top  of  the  stove,  then  shelled, 
dried  over  the  stove,  or  in  the  sun,  in  an  evaporating  basket 
(Plate  XXXV,  figs,  a,  b),  then  put  away  in  a  bag  or  barrel  for 
future  use.  Grain  prepared  in  this  manner  is  called  wadi'dji^'h^' 
ganahug^'yQ  (On.),  or  "dried  parched  corn." 

To  cook,  place  a  quantity  of  the  corn  in  a  kettle,  add  boiling 
water  and  boil  for  half  an  hour,  drain,  add  fresh  water,  then 
some  kind  of  meat.  Boil  for  an  hour  and  season  with  salt. 
Another  way  of  seasoning  is  to  sweeten. 


'  Williams,  Roger,  Key  into  the  Language  of  America,  p.  33. 
'Alex.  Snider,  Tonawanda,   N.Y. 
'  Mrs.  John  Williams  (Mo.). 


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Sagard  gives  some  interesting  particulars  regarding  utensils 
and  methods  among  the  Hurons:  "The  neintahouy  is  made  as 
follows:  the  women  roast  a  quantity  of  the  corn  ears,  before 
they  are  quite  ripe,  leaning  them  against  a  stick  resting  on  two 
stones  before  the  fire,  and  turning  them  around  from  time  to 
time  until  they  are  roasted  sufficiently,  or  to  do  it  more  expedi- 
tiously they  place  the  ears  in  a  heap  of  sand  which  has  first 
been  heated  to  a  high  temperature  by  means  of  a  fire  which  has 
been  built  on  top  of  it,  they  then  detach  the  grains,  dry  them 
in  the  sun,  spread  them  out  upon  pieces  of  bark,  after  which 
they  are  stored  in  a  receptacle  (tonneau)  with  a  third  or  a  quarter 
portion  of  beans,  agaressa,  which  they  mingle  with  it,  and  when 
they  wish  to  eat  of  it  they  boil  it  whole  in  their  pot  or  cauldron, . . 
with  a  little  fish,  fresh  or  dry,  if  they  have  it  on  hand."^ 

Green  Corn  Soup — unqha'se"  unahw^gwa'  (On.). 

Green  corn  is  husked  and  shelled  from  the  cob  with  the 
hands.  A  fire  is  made  outside.  When  a  good  bed  of  coals  has 
been  obtained,  the  embers  are  packed  down  level,  the  corn  thrown 
on  top  and  stirred  with  a  stick,  the  coals  being  pulled  over  the 
corn  a  little.  When  the  latter  is  sufificiently  cooked,  the  ashes 
and  fire  are  pulled  away,  the  corn  put  into  a  coarse  hominy 
basket,  and  the  ashes  and  coals  sifted  out,  after  which  it  is 
washed  with  cold  water,  and  boiled  in  a  kettle  with  meat  and 
beans.  Salt  is  added,  also  pepper,  if  desired,  although  the 
latter  is  not  much  used.* 

Green  Corn  Baked — ogg'sad'  uh&'^gwa'  (On.). 

A  way  of  preparing  green  corn'  that  is  much  enjoyed  is  to 
scrape  the  green  corn  off  with  the  deer's  jaw  scraper,  place  it  in 
a  pem,  and  bake  it  into  a.  cake,  somewhat  of  the  consistency 
of  corn  bread.  This  is  said  to  be  excellent  with  hot  bread  and 
butter. 

This  dish  has  been  thought  to  be  of  comparatively  modern 
invention,  although  it  could  have  been  quite  readily  baked  in 


'Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  95. 

«  Pinkerton's  Voyages,  vol.  12,. p.  258. 

•  Mrs.  Lyons,  Onondaga  Castle,  and  others. 


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earthenware  vessels,  on  flat  stones,  or  in  the  embers.  Morgan 
makes  mention  of  it  in  1850.  The  name  signifies  "green  corn 
bread  or  cake." 

Dried  Corn  Soup — ogg'sad'  udji'sgwa'  {On.). 

When  not  required  for  immediate  use,  the  baked  corn  just 
described  is  broken  up  into  small  pieces,  dried  in  the  sun  or 
over  the  stove  and  stored  away  for  future  reference.  This  makes 
an  excellent  soup,  or  "pudding,"  when  soaked  a  little,  then  boiled 
and  seasoned. 

Roasted  Corn  in  the  Ear — wadi'djid'ha'  ung'^gw^'^ya'   {On.). 

One  of  the  commonest  methods  of  preparing  green  corn  is 
to  roast  it  before  the  fire  and  eat  it  without  further  preparation, 
though  butter  and  salt  are  often  used  at  present. 

Champlain  states  that  "corn  freshly  roasted  is  highly 
esteemed."!  Many  other  observers  describe  the  same  method 
of  preparation.  A  slight  variation  practised  was  to  roast  the 
ears  in  hot  ashes. 

A  method  in  vogue,  particularly  some  years  ago,  was  to  dig 
a  trench  in  the  ground,  build  a  good  fire  in  it  so  as  to  get  a  good 
bed  of  embers,  then  place  a  stout  stick  lengthwise  over  the  top 
with  the  ends  resting  on  a  couple  of  stones.  The  ears  of  green 
corn  were  then  leaned  against  the  stick  on  both  sides  and  turned 
from  time  to  time  until  they  were  roasted.  The  corn  was  then 
eaten  with  or  without  salt  and  butter.  It  may  also  be  scraped 
off  and  dried  for  future  use. 

A  Seneca  name  given  for  roasted  corn  in  the  ear  was  wade''- 
djeaydak.  To  roast  corn  is  gde'dje'^ud^'.  A  Caughnawaga 
name  is  ygdengt  gwg.'gta'  oga'sero'da'. 

Young  people,  according  to  S.  Anderson  (Mo.),  are  told 
that  if  they  break  a  cob  of  green  corn  into  pieces  instead  of  eating 
it  from  the  whole  cob,  they  will  be  chased  by  o'na''tsa',  a  malev- 
olent being  which  is  believed  to  consist  of  legs  only.     This 


1  Champlain,  Voyages,  p.  163. 


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creature  is  said  to  frequent  lonely  places  in  the  forest  and  always 
indicates  by  his  appearance  some  misfortune,  such  as  a  death  in 
the  family. 

Green  Corn  Leaf  Bread — unid'tsha'  (On.). 

According  to  Chief  Gibson,  the  leaves  are  sometimes  folded 
on  the  midrib,  then  doubled  over  at  each  end  to  form  an  oblong 
envelope  or  pocket  some  4  or  5  inches  long.  This  is  filled 
with  green  corn  scraped  from  the  cob  with  a  knife  or  the  deer's 
jaw  scraper.  Another  envelope  a  little  longer  is  slipped  over  the 
first  so  as  to  make  a  closed  package,  which  is  tied  once  around  the 
middle  with  basswood  bark.  The  corn  is  frequently  pounded  to 
a  paste  in  the  mortar  before  using,  though  this  is  considered  un- 
necessary when  the  scraper  is  employed.  The  packages  are 
cooked  for  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour. 

Another  method  of  making  into  packages  was  given  by  a 
Tonawanda  Seneca.  ^  This  consisted  of  filling  a  small  quantity 
of  the  paste  into  a  corn  leaf  bent  double,  then  covering  it  around 
in  the  same  way  with  other  leaves,  a  sufficient  number  being  used 
to  prevent  the  contents  from  escaping.  A  string  of  bark  is  then 
wrapped  several  times  around  the  leaves  just  above  the  ball  of 
paste  and  tied.  Cooked  and  shelled  green  beans  are  often  added 
to  the  paste.  Berries  are  used  for  the  same  purpose;  also 
apples  cut  up  small;  or  meat,  such  as  that  of  the  deer. 

A  Cayuga  name  given  by  David  Jack  for  the  smaller  club- 
shaped  packages,  tied  at  one  end,  was  u*°hQ'sta'  (similis  testi- 
culo).  The  longer  packages  of  a  similar  shape  are  called  gania'- 
tsha',  which  means  a  "bob"  or  bunch  of  hair,  similar  to  that  worn 
by  the  women.  A  large  cake-like  leaf-package  is  called  una''daa' 
gadJQwa'sQ  (bread  wrapped  in  corn  leaves).  All  these  forms  are 
frequently  used  at  the  Green  Corn  Dance,  as  well  as  for  home 
consumption.  The  smaller  packages  were  often  cooked  in  the 
broth  made  in  cooking  venison.  The  packages  are  sometimes 
broken  open  and  the  contents  dried.  All  of  those  described  are 
exactly  similar  to  those  used  in  the  making  of  leaf  and  wedding 
bread. 


'Alex.  Snider. 


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When  the  corn  is  done,  the  coverings  are  removed  and  the 
contents  eaten  with  butter,  salt,  etc.  Formerly  sunflower  oil 
or  bear's  grease  was  used  in  place  of  the  latter. 

Historical  references  to  leaf  bread  among  the  Iroquois  and 
surrounding  nations  are  numerous.  Adair  refers  to  a  similar 
preparation  in  use  among  the  Chickasaw  and  neighbouring  tribes, 
which  was  made  of  chestnuts  and  corn.  Both  were  taken  when 
green  and  full-grown.  The  chestnut  kernels  were  half  boiled, 
the  green  corn  was  sliced  from  the  ear  and  both  were  pounded  in 
the  mortar,  then  kneaded,  wrapped  in  corn  blades  to  form  pack- 
ages about  an  inch  thick,  and  boiled.  A  sort  of  boiled  bread  was 
mentioned,  which  was  mixed  with  beans  and  potatoes.* 

Sagard  describes  a  leaf-bread  made  by  the  ancient  Hurons, 
which  he  found  little  to  his  liking.  The  "women,  girls  and  chil- 
dren with  their  teeth  detach  the  grains  which  they  eject  into  large 
bowls  which  they  have  at  hand,  and  finish  by  pounding  it  in  the 
large  mortars;  and  as  this  paste  is  very  syrupy  it  is  of  necessity 
wrapped  in  the  leaves  to  cook  it  under  the  ashes  according  to  the 
custom.  This  chewed  bread  is  the  most  highly  esteemed  among 
them."2 

OBSOLETE    CORN    FOODS. 

The  earlier  historical  accounts  describe  a  number  of  Iro- 
quois foods,  the  use  of  which  has  been  discontinued. 
li'  Iv  Green  corn  on  the  cob,  for  example,  is  probably  seldom  eaten 
raw  at  present,  though  Lafitau  remarks  that  "when  the  Indian 
corn  is  yet  soft  and  almost  milky,  it  is  crushed  slightly  without 
separating  it  from  the  cob ;  it  is  then  very  agreeable  to  the  taste."' 
This  seems  to  have  been  most  frequently  used  in  emergencies, 
or  when  lack  of  time  prohibited  further  preparation.  The 
use  is  noted  among  the  New  York  Iroquois  of  "very  short  rations 
consisting  solely  of  Indian  corn  just  picked."  This  was  in  the 
Relation  of  1652-53. 


'  Adair,  History  of  the  American  Indians,  pp.  407,  408. 
'  Sagard,   Voyages,  vol.  I,  p.  94. 
•  Lafitau,  Moeurs,  vol.  II,  p.  93. 
Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XL,  p.  151. 


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Cornstalks  were  sometimes  utilized,  according  to  Bartram,* 
who  observed  some  of  the  Iroquois  "chewing  raw  Indian  corn- 
stalks, spitting  out  the  substance  after  they  sucked  out  the  juice." 
These  are  said  to  have  been  found  quite  sweet  and  palatable 
by  many.  Smith's  "Virginia"  mentions  the  same  food,  also  such 
recent  writers  as  Mrs.  H.  S.  Caswell  in  "Our  Life  Among  the 
Iroquois."  A  number  of  the  older  people  still  remember  seeing 
sections  of  cornstalk  cut  between  joints  and  chewed  as  a  means  of 
quenching  thirst. 

The  use  of  stinking  corn  by  the  Hurons  is  described  quite 
graphically  by  Sagard:  "For  leindohy,  or  bled  puant,  a  large 
quantity  of  ears  is  taken,  not  yet  perfectly  ripe  and  dry,  so  as  to 
be  more  susceptible  to  the  acquisition  of  the  odor,  and  this  the 
women  place  in  some  pond  or  puddle  of  stagnant  water,  for  a 
period  of  two  or  three  months,  at  the  end  of  which  they  remove  it 
and  this  serves  as  a  material  for  feasts  of  much  importance, 
cooked  as  neintahouy,  and  they  also  eat  it  roasted  under  the  hot 
cinders,  licking  their  fingers  while  handling  these  stinking  ears, 
as  though  they  were  bits  of  sugar  cane,  notwithstanding  that 
the  taste  and  odor  are  vile,  and  more  infectious  than  the  filthiest 
gutters."^  Champlain  also  refers  to  the  "corn  rendered  putrid 
in  pools  or  puddles."  No  recollection  of  this  dish  was  found 
among  present-day  Iroquois. 

A  quotation  is  given  by  Parker  to  the  effect  that  "when  they 
were  travelling  or  lying  in  wait  for  their  enemies  they  took  with 
them  a  kind  of  bread  made  of  Indian  corn  and  tobacco  juice, 
which,  says  Campanius,  was  a  very  good  thing  to  allay  hunger  and 
quench  thirst  in  case  they  have  nothing  else  at  hand."' 

CEREMONIAL  CORN  FOODS. 

Bear's  Pudding — wgwaiH'neha"  {On.). 
This  was  described  by  Chief  Gibson  as  consisting  of  corn 
soup  pr  hominy  made  in  the  usual  way,  but  seasoned  with  sugar. 


'  Bartram,   Observations,  p.   47. 

Pinkerton's  Voyages,  vol.  13,  p.  32. 
'  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  97. 

Champlain,  Voyages,  vol.  Ill,  p.  162. 
'  Vincent,  History  of  Delaware,  Phila.,  1870,  pp.  74,  75. 


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Meat  was  said  not  to  be  used  in  that  locality  at  all,  the  idea  being 
to  prepare  foods  which  a  bear  is  supposed  to  like. 

The  services  of  the  Bear  Society  may  be  indicated  by  a  dream 
or  by  some  other  circumstance  which  may  be  interpreted  by  the 
local  "fortune-teller"  to  mean  that  a  meeting  of  the  society  is 
required  as  a  medical  procedure. 

The  person  requiring  the  ceremony  must  prepare  the  corn 
soup,  also  some  sweetened  juice  or  wine  of  huckleberries  or  black- 
berries. When  the  society  meets,  tobacco  is  burned  and  speeches 
are  made  asking  the  bear  to  relieve  the  patient.  The  leader  then 
takes  a  drink  of  the  blackberry  juice,  and  also  gives  a  little  to 
the  patient.  They  then  sing  to  the^  accompaniment  of  horn 
rattles  and  the  water  drum.  The  leader  begins  the  dancing, 
the  others  falling  in.  If  the  sick  person  can  dance,  it  is  so  much 
the  better.  At  the  end  of  the  ceremony  there  is  a  distribution 
of  the  soup. 

Buffalo  Dance  Pudding — deyuna^gai'dnta'  (On.). 

The  buffalo  dance  pudding  is  used  by  members  of  the  Buffalo 
Society  or  Company.  A  meal  is  made  of  bread  corn  and  is 
used  in  the  preparation  of  a  thick  pudding  sweetened  with  maple 
or  other  sugar.  It  is  intended  to  represent  the  mud  in  which  the 
buffalo  wallows.  The  necessity  for  the  ceremony  is  indicated 
in  a  similar  manner  to  that  for  the  Bear  Dance  ceremony.  An 
Oneidatown  recipe  includes  the  addition  of  beef  to  the  pudding. 

Ball  Players'  Pudding — gadji^gwae''   {On.). 

When  a  person  has  been  suffering  from  some  ailment  such  as 
rheumatism,  lame  back,  fever,  or  headache,  it  may  be  decided, 
as  before,  that  a  game  of  lacrosse  is  required.  The  leader  of  the 
players,  is  notified.  The  sick  person  then  prepares  a  quantity 
of  white  bread  or  Tuscarora  corn.  This  is  parched  or  roasted, 
pounded,  and  sifted  to  a  fine  meal.  A  large  potful  of  water 
is  brought  to  a  boil,  the  meal  stirred  in,  and  some  maple  or  other 
sugar  added,  also  some  fried  pork  and  gravy,  the  whole  being 
boiled  to  form  a  mush. 


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There  is  usually  to  be  found  in  such  ceremonies  some  con- 
nexion, imaginary  or  otherwise,  between  the  illness  and  the 
remedy  proposed,  the  ball  game  possibly  suggesting  that  the 
activity  of  the  players  will  remove  any  sickness  affecting  the 
activity  of  the  patient.  At  the  end  of  the  game  the  mush 
or  pudding  is  consumed  by  those  present. 

False-face  Pudding — gagg"sa'  hodidji'sgwa'   (On.). 

The  False-face  pudding  is  eaten  both  at  the  regular  meetings  of 
thte  False-face  Society,  as  well  as  when  the  services  of  the  Society 
are  invoked  in  certain  ailments.  The  pudding  is  also  made  of 
parched  corn  meal  and  maple  sugar  boiled  to  form  a  "mush" 
or  pudding,  sunflower  or  bear's  oil  being  sometimes  used  as  a 
seasoning. 

The  food  is  supposed  to  be  specially  pleasing  to  the  False- 
faces,  who  have  the  power  of  distorting  the  faces  of  those  who 
speak  disrespectfully  while  participating  in  the  ceremony  and 
.  particularly  while  eating  the  pudding.^  The  patient  must  eat 
along  with  the  others. 

BEANS   AND   BEAN   FOODS. 

Beans  of  various  kinds  appear  to  have  been  connected  from 
an  early  date  with  Iroquois  agriculture,  and,  like  corn  and 
certain  other  products,  to  have  become  interwoven  with  a 
number  of  mythological  concepts.  The  "Three  Sisters,"  a"sf 
nadegQd4'nQ'daa'  (On.),  for  instance,  were  a  well-known  trinity 
of  deities,  the  guardian  spirits  of  corn,  beans,  and  squashes. 
The  bean  is  also  associated  more  or  less  intimately  with  the 
annual  ceremonies  of  planting-time  and  thanksgiving  after 
harvest. 

The  beans  cultivated  are  mostly  of  the  genus  Phaseolus, 
which  is  considered  to  have  been  indigenous  to  South  America. 
The  genus  includes,  also,  the  Limas  and  the  runners  ^  (Plate 
XXXIV). 


1  Parker,  A.  C,  New  York  State  Museum  Bulletin  144,  p.  79. 
^  Common,  or  kidney  bean,  Phaseolus  vulgaris;    Lima  bean,  Phaseolus 
lunatus;   Runners  (Scarlet,  etc.),  Phaseolus  rmdtiflorus. 


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The  Jesuit  Relations  and  the  accounts  of  most  early  writers 
abound  in  references  to  bean  culture  and  to  the  many  varieties 
which  were  met  with  among  the  Iroquois  and  other  tribes. 
Beverly,  in  describing  the  agriculture  of  the  Virginia  Indians, 
among  whom  were  no  doubt  included  the  Cherokee,  remarks 
that  "they  likewise  plant  a  Bean  in  the  Same  Hill  with  the 
Corn,  upon  whose  stalk  it  sustains  itself.  The  Indians  sow'd 
Peas  (beans,  evidently)  sometimes  in  the  Intervals  of  the  Rows 
of  Corn,  but  more  generally  in  a  Patch  of  Ground  by  themselves. 
They  have  an  unknown  Variety  of  them,  but  all  of  a  Kidney- 
Shape,  some  of  which  I  have  met  with  wild."^  Cartier  noted 
that  the  Indians  met  with  on  his  voyages  had  "beans  of  all 
colors,  yet  differing  from  ours."''  Josselyn  mentions  beans 
which  were  "white,  black,  red,  yellow,  blue,  spotted,  besides 
your  Bonivis  and  Calavances,  and  the  kidney-bean  that  is 
proper  to  Roanoke.  But  these  are  brought  into  the  country; 
the  others  are  natural  to  the  climate."'  Pole  or  climbing  beans 
were  evidently  planted  with  the  corn  and  the  dwarf  varieties 
by  themselves. 

Over  sixty  different  bean  varieties  were  collected  by  the 
writer;  of  these  some  fifty  or  more  were  cultivated  by  Professor 
R.  B.  Thomson  and  H.  B.  Sifton  of  the  University  of  Toronto, 
to  whom  the  writer  is  indebted  for  a  number  of  the  identifications 
given. 

Horticultural  varieties  have  been  included,  as  the  history 
of  these  is  so  obscure,  in  many  cases,  as  to  suggest  that  they  may 
have  been  more  or  less  directly  due  to  Indian  horticulture.* 

Beans  of  all  kinds  are  roughly  classified  by  the  Iroquois  into 
"bread  beans"  and  "soup  beans,"  the  former  being  used  in  the 
making  of  corn  bread,  and  the  latter  as  an  ingredient  of  soup. 
The  classification  naturally  varies  with  individual  preference. 
Beans  of  a  short,  round  type  are  further  referred  to  as 
"cranberry." 


'  Beverly,  History  and  Present  State  of  Virginia,  vol.  II,  p.  29. 
'  Cartier,  Bref  Ricit,  p.  31. 
"  Josselyn,  Voyages,  pp.  73,  74. 

'  Jarvis,  C.  D.,  American  Varieties  of  Beans,  Cornell  University  Bulletin, 
No.  260. 


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The  following  are  some  of  the  more  frequently  occurring 
kinds: 

Cranberry  Beans} 

1.  White  with  maroon  and  buff  markings  ventrally  or  around 

the  eye;    identified  as  Golden  Wax  (Plate  XXXIV, 
fig.  f2): 

niyu^'sagwahaha^yuk  deyuditgw^'da^da'  (On.) : 
gahutsherag^'ra  osahe'ida'  (Mo.) . 

2.  White;     resembles   White   Marrow   or   Cranberry    (Plate 

XXXIV,  fig.  a  1) : 

na^yuk  (Ca.) ;   a''yuk  u'sahei'daga'ada  (On.). 

3.  Maroon;    pole,   poor  climber;    resembles  Arlington   Red 

Cranberry;    collected  at  Oneidatown,  Ontario  (Plate 
XXXIV,  fig.  a  2). 

4.  Black;  climbing  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  a  3) : 

ofyuk  niyu§'sagwaha  (On.). 

5.  Light  buff  with  brownish  ring  around  hilum  or  eye;  climb- 

ing (PlateXXXIV,  fig.  a4): 
a"yuk  u^'sis  eha'ta'  u*gw^'da'  (On.). 

6.  Light  yellow  or  sulphur-coloured;    identified  as   Eureka 

(PlateXXXIV,  fig.  a  5): 
a"yukdji'twga'  (On.). 

7.  Buff,  splashed  and  speckled  with  maroon  (Plate  XXXIV, 

fig.  a  6) : 

ga'hugk  udisahe'i'da'  (On.),  or  Wild  Goose  Bean; 

ha''yuk  (Ca.),  applied  to  a  similar  bean. 

Bread  Beans. 

8.  Buff  with  maroon   stripes  and   markings;    a  large-sized 

bean;  bush;  frequently  referred  to  as  the  "old-fashioned 

bread    bean,"    although    sometimes    used    for    soup 

(Plate  XXXIV,  figs,  b  1,  b  2); 

ga'hugk  (Ca.  and  On.) ; 

gana'daluk  deyeyist  usahe't  (Oneida) ; 

gana'dq.  doganpstQ'han'  usahe'ida'  (Mo.). 


'  A  general  term  in  the  Mohawk  dialect  spoken  at  Caughnawaga  is  dog- 
wa'hert'  uzahe'da'. 


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9.     BuflF  with  dark  stripes,  a  light  brown  ring  around  the 
hilum;    a  small  bean;   resembles  Scotia;   pole,  rather 
poor  climber;   a  bread  and  soup  bean;    claimed  as  a 
very  old  Iroquois  variety  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  b  3) ; 
t^do'gai'i  (Ca.); 
atgo'a  sahe^da'  (Ca.),  or  Wampum  Bean. 

10.  Brownish,  striped  and  speckled  with  black  to  brownish 

black;   bush;   long  kidney-shape;   resembles  Speckled 
Wax  (Plate  XXXIV,  figs,  b  4,  b  5) : 
gana'daluk  deyeytst  usahe't  (Oneida). 

11.  Striped  and  speckled  with  black  and  white;    long,  rather 

flat;  an  Iroquois  hybrid  (?);  collected  at  Oneidatown 
(Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  b  6). 

12.  Reddish  brown,  with  dark  red  markings;    truncated  at 

ends;  bush;  resembles  Best  of  All  (Plate  XXXIV, 
fig.  c  1). 

13.  Dark  brown,  with  darker  stripes;    broad  and  rather  flat; 

pole;  rather  variable  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  c  2): 
naday'ia'ta'  sahe"da'  (Ca.). 

14.  Buff,  striped  with  maroon  to  nearly  black;  short  and  flat; 

climbing;    planted  with  corn;    claimed  to  be  an  old 

variety,  perhaps  one  of  the  oldest  (Plate  XXXIV, 

fig.c3): 

u'sahe'i'da'  deyiha'gwayi'sda'kwa'  u^'sis  (On.); 

o'ia'gekaa'  (Sen.) 

15.  Dark  salmon  with  red  to  black  speckles  and  blotches; 

bush  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  c  4): 
gana'daluk  deyeyist  usahe't  (Oneida). 

Soup  or  Corn  Soup  Beans. 

16.  Dark  seal  brown  to  nearly  black  ventrally  and  on  lower 

end,  white  dorsally;  bush;  resembles  Leopard; 
collected  among  Oneida  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  c  5). 

17.  Dull  brown,  a  dark  ring  around  the  eye;   rather  long  and 

narrow;  pole;  one  form  grown  from  the  seed  re- 
sembled Old  Southern  Prolific  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  c  6) : 
ga'hio'tslis  (Oneida). 


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18.  Buff   with   maroon   striping;    long   kidney-shape;    some 

samples  grown  were  pole,  resembling  Brockton, 
others  bush,  resembling  Ruby  Horticultural;  also 
called  a  bread  bean ;  collected  at  Oneidatown. 

19.  Deep  brown  with  white  at  tip  and  somewhat  dorsally; 

bush;  Indian  hybrid  (?)  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  d  1): 
honodala  usahe't  (Oneida). 

20.  Scarlet  Runner   {Phaseolus  multiflorus) : 

yelano'KWA  (Oneida). 

21.  A  small  bean,  heavily  blotched  with  maroon  and  buff; 

bush,    with    some    runners;     resembles    Byer    (Plate 

XXXIV,  fig.  d  2): 

atgo'a  (Ca.),  Wampum  Bean. 

22.  Ruby  Horticultural ;  bush ;  early  or  medium  (Plate  XXXIV 

fig.  d3): 

dogwa'i*  (Oneida),  or  Cranberry. 

23.  Light  reddish  brown,  with  darker  stripes  and  markings; 

pole;   Indian  hybrid  (?)  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  d  4): 
honondala  usahe't  (Oneida). 

Other  Varieties  (use  not  stated). 

24.  Dark  brown  bean;   small;   bush;   collected  at  Tonawanda 

(Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  d  5). 
oyf'gwa"a'  (Sen.). 

25.  Reddish  brown,  with  black  stripes;  short,  broad,  and  rather 

flat  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  d  6) : 
u'sahe'i'da'  unate^e'niQ  (On.). 

26.  Light  buff,  with  a  reddish  brown  ring  around  the  eye; 

long,    narrow,    and    rather    pointed    at    ends;     pole; 
long  pods  (Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  e  1) : 
Qtdiowas  (Ca.). 

27.  Light  fawn,  blotched  and  finely  speckled  with  dark  red; 

a  very  short  bean,  with  truncated  ends;  Cut  Short; 
has  been  known  horticulturally  for  at  least  seventy- 
five  years;  sometimes  called  Corn-hill,  or  Corn  Bean; 
collected  among  Oklahoma  Seneca  by  C.  M.  Barbeau 
(Plate  XXXIV,  fig.  e  2). 


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Green  Beans  in  the  Pod — gatgwqdavstia"gc'  {On.). 

Green  beans  in  the  pod  may  be  cooked,  while  fresh,  and 
made  into  a  soup.  In  preparing  this,  the  pods  are  cut  into  pieces 
and  boiled  until  tender.  Fresh  milk,  also  butter  and  salt,  are 
added.  The  two  recipes  last  mentioned  have  become  very 
popular  among  the  whites. 

Another  way  of  cooking  green  beans  in  the  pod  is  to  cook 
them  whole,  without  slicing.  The  red  cranberry  bean  is  usually 
chosen.  When  done,  they  are  taken  by  the  stem,  the  head  is 
thrown  back,  the  pod  taken  into  the  mouth  and  drawn  between 
the  teeth,  leaving  the  strings  or  fibres  behind. 

A  slightly  different  way  is  to  boil  the  pods  until  tender,  then 
add  butter  and  seasoning.  A  name  given  for  the  latter  was 
u"sahe4'da'se'i'  gatgw?"du'  (On.). 

Green  Beans  Shelled — wsahe'da'se'   (On.). 

The  beans  are  taken  when  fully  formed,  but  not  yet  ripe, 
placed  in  a  pot,  boiled,  and  seasoned  to  suit  the  taste. 

Fried  Beans — ga'sah&'do'^gwa'  gasahedagqi'da'wr  o^na''gt'  (On.). 

Green  beans  in  the  pod  are  first  boiled  until  tender.  Then 
they  are  fried  in  bear  or  sunflower  oil.  Butter  would  be  a  modern 
substitute. 

Beans  with  Corn — wsahe'da'se'  ga'sahe'i'du'  un^ha'se'gi'   {On.). 

In  this  recipe,  green,  shelled  beans  are  boiled  with  green 
sweet  corn.  Meat  may  be  added.  The  preparation  is  then 
seasoned  with  salt,  pepper,  and  butter  or  fat. 

Soup  of  Dried  Beans — a"yuk  u*gw^'da'si'  gaha''di'  {On.). 

Green  beans  in  the  pod  are  also  prepared  by  boiling,  drying 
in  evaporating  baskets  or  on  a  flat  board,  and  storing  away  in  a 


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bag  or  barrel.  When  required  for  use,  they  are  soaked,  then 
boiled  in  the  usual  way,  after  which  butter  and  seasoning  are 
added.     Cranberry  beans  are  favoured. 

Beans  and  Squash — u'nvgsa'odji'sgwa'  {On.). 

Green  beans  in  the  pod  are  cooked  with  squash  cut  up  into 
small  pieces.     This  is  considered  a  very  old  way. 

A  variant  of  this  is  to  cook  cranberry  beans  in  the  pod,  and, 
when  they  are  nearly  dry,  to  serve  them  in  the  shell  of  a  boiled 
squash.  "^ 

Green  Beans  with  Meat — ga'negagei''tcdni"  hega'wahei''wi^  (On.). 

Green  pod  beans  are  cut  into  small  pieces,  then  placed  in  the 
pot  along  with  some  kind  of  meat,  such  as  pork  or  beef. 

Sweet  Soup — usahe'da'gei'   {On.). 

Ripe  shelled  beans  are  washed  with  hot  water;  those  that 
float  and  are  bad  are  picked  out;  the  remainder  are  cooked  until 
soft;  sugar  is  then  added  to  make  a  sweet  soup. 

Mashed  Beans^—gadjisgg-'ni'  wsahe'i'da'  {On.). 

Beans  are  often  cooked  "like  potatoes,"  to  use  the  expression 
of  an  informant,  then  mashed  with  a.  masher  or  pounder.  The 
dish  is  also  called  u'sahe'i'da'  o'dji'sgwa'  (On.). 

Beans  Mixed  with  Bread. 

Beans  are  very  frequently — in  fact,  usually — mixed  with 
corn  bread,  although  other  materials  are  occasionally  used.  The 
beans  are  first  cooked  just  so  that  they  are  a  little  firm  and  will 
remain  whole.  They  are  then  mixed  with  corn  bread  paste  and 
again  cooked  in  the  making  of  the  bread. 


»  Parker,  A.  C,  Bulletin  144,  New  York  State  Museum,  p.  90. 


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Bean  Soup — wsahe'da'gei'  {On.).^ 

The  ripe  beans  are  boiled  with  meat  and  stirred  and  mashed 
with  a  paddle  until  they  are  thoroughly  mixed.  The  meat  used 
may  be  beef,  venison,  or  any  other  kind. 

Other  Terms  {On.). 

Bean  pole,  o'anoda'kwa'  usahe'i'da'. 

Bean  vine,   u'sahe'i'da'  ug^sa'. 

Bean  pod,  u'sahe'i'da'  utgw§''da'. 

The  string  in  a  pod,  utgw^''da'  u'gwaa'. 

Stem  of  a  pod,  sa'ng  diyunip'da'. 

Explanation  of  Terms. 

dogwa'i'  (Oneida) 

dogwa'hen'  (Mo.).  a  cranberry. 

a"yuk  (On.) 

ha''yuk  (Ca.) 

U'sahe'i'da'  (On.) 

osahe'ida'  (Mo.)        [  a  bean. 

usahe't  (Oneida) 

sahe"da'  (Ca.) 

u^'sis  (On.),  climbing. 

dji'tgwa'  (On.),  yellow. 

utgw^'da'  (On.),  red. 

oy^'gwa"^'  (Sen.),  smoky-coloured,  brown. 

ga'hurjk  (On.),  a  wild  goose. 

gana'daluk  (Oneida)  1  bread. 

gana'd^  (Mo.)  J 

deyiha'gwayi'sda'kwa'  (On.),  mixed  with  bread. 

deyeytst  (Oneida),  mixed  with. 

atgo'a  (Ca.),  wampum. 


'  Seneca,  usai'i'dagi'. 


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CUCURBITACE^    OR    VINE    FOODS. 

Many  varieties  of  Cucurbitacecs,  including  pumpkins, 
squashes,  cucumbers,  and  melons,  were  cultivated  by  the  Iro- 
quois and  are  the  subject  of  frequent  mention  historically, 
although,  unfortunately,  they  are  not  always  described  so  that 
we  can  determine  the  species. 

Most  of  the  CucurbitacecB  are  considered  to  be  of  American 
origin,  the  exceptions  being  the  water-melon,  some  of  the  varie- 
ties of  cucumber,  and,  possibly,  also  Cucurbita  maxima,  of 
which  the  Hubbard  squash  is  a  type,  and  which  are  thought  to 
have  been  imported  after  the  discovery.^  Cartier  enumerates  at 
least  three  species  of  CucurbitacecB.  Hariot,  in  1586,  found 
growing  in  Virginia  a  number  of  kinds  of  "pompions,  melons, 
and  gourds."  Beverly,  also,  mentions  the  "cushaws,"  which 
he  describes  as  "a  kind  of  Pompion  of  a  bluish-green  Colour, 
streaked  with  white,  when  they  are  fit  for  Use.  They  are  larger 
than  the  Pompions  and  have  a  long  narrow  Neck."  "Macocks" 
are  defined  by  the  same  writer  as  "a  sort  of  Melopepones,  or 
lesser  sort  of  Pompion,  of  these  they  have  a  great  Variety; 
but  the  Indian  Name  Macock  serves  for  all."*  "Smith's  Voyages" 
also  differentiates  between  "pompions  and  macocks."  Brickell, 
"History  of  North  Carolina,"  enumerates  "Gourds,  Mellons, 
Cucumbers,  Squashes,  Semblens."'  In  a  general  way,  the  term 
pompion  or  pumpion  seems  to  have  been  applied  to  the  forms  of 
Cucurbita  pepo  which  we  call  pumpkins;  and  macock,  cushaw, 
and  symnel  or  semblen  to  those  which  are  commonly  referred  to 
as  squashes.*  The  symnel  is  considered  to  have  been  the  scal- 
loped squash. 


•  Sturtevant,  History  of  Garden  Vegetables,  Amer.  Nat.,  vol.  XXIII,  p.  673. 
'  Beverly,  History,  vol.  II,  p.  27. 

» Brickell,  History  of  North  Carolina,  p.  289. 

*  De  CandoUe,  Origin  of  Cultivated  Plants,  p.  252,  considers  macock  and 
cushaw  as  referring  to  pumpkins  and  quotes  Dr.  Harris,  American  Journal, 
1857,  vol.  XXIV,  p.  441,  and  Trumbull,  BuU.  of  Torrey  Bat.  Club,  1876,  vol. 
VI,  p.  69,  in  support  of  this  view.  De  CandoUe  asserts,  conservatively,  that 
"all  that  we  learn  ...  is  that  the  natives  a  century  after  the  discovery 
of  Virginia  and  twenty  to  forty  years  after  its  colonization  by  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh,  made  use  of  some  fruits  of  the  Cucurbitacese." 


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Josselyn,  in  "New  England  Rarities,"  refers  to  the  "Squashes, 
but  more  truly  squoutersquashes,  a  kind  of  mellon  or  rather 
gourd;  for  they  sometimes  degenerate  into  gourds.  Some  of 
these  are  green;  some  yellow;  some  longish,  like  a  gourd;  others 
round  like  an  apple;  all  of  them  pleasant  food,  boyled  and  but- 
tered and  seasoned  with  spice.  But  the  yellow  squash — called 
an  apple'  squash  (because  like  an  apple)  and  about  the  bigness  of 
a  pome  water — is  the  best  kind."' 

Aboriginal  squashes  are  ever3rwhere  referred  to  as  having 
been  delicious.  The  Relation  of  1656-57  states  that  among  the 
dainties  which  were  served  up  by  the  early  Onondagas  were 
"the  beans  and  squashes  of  the  country,  which  are  firmer  and 
better  than  those  of  France."  Le  Jeune,  1636,  informs  us  that 
"the  squashes  last  sometimes  four  and  five  months,  and  are  so 
abundant  that  they  are  to  be  had  almost  for  nothing,  and  so  good 
that,  on  being  cooked  in  the  ashes,  they  are  eaten  as  apples  are 
in  France."^  Squashes,  in  fact,  often  formed  the  principal  food 
at  certain  seasons,'  and  were  not  only  kept  fresh,  but  were  cut 
into  strips  and  placed  in  evaporating  trays;  or  strung  upon  cords 
suspended  near  the  fireplace  until  dry,  then  stored  away. 
Squashes  are  also  said  to  have  been  placed  in  storage  pits,  along 
with  other  garden  products,  and  dug  out  from  time  to  time  as 
occasion  required.* 

Suggestions  of  the  ceremonial  importance  of  the  squash  are 
frequent.  Feasts,  such  as  those  in  response  to  dreams,  were  often  . 
made  from  it.'  It  is  also  eaten  in  present-day  longhouse  cere- 
monies. The  squash  rattles  used  by  the  Medicine  Societies 
are  most  frequently  made  from  the  long-handled  calabash  or 
gourd  {Lagenaria  vulgaris),  although  such  squashes  as  the  summer 
crookneck  and  the  old-fashioned  hard-shelled  varieties  were  some- 
times used. 


'  Josselyn,  New  England  Rarities,  p.  89. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  X;  p.  103. 

•Ibid.,  vol.  LXVII,  p.  213;   vol.  XXVII,  p.  65. 

'  Mrs.  John  Gibson  (Ca.)  and  other  informants  confirm  this  statement. 

Ibid.,  vol.  LVII,  p.  251. 
» Ibid.,  vol.  LVII,  p.  251. 


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On  some  occasions,  as  a  result  of  over-eating,  squashes  seem 
to  have  been  the  cause  of  severe  intestinal  disturbances.  Hecke- 
welder  observed  "that  these  fevers  break  out  nearly  always  in 
the  wild  plum  season,  .  .  .  sometimes,  also,  after  a  long  famine 
or  deprivation  of  food;  when  they  eat  to  excess  the  green  corn, 
squashes  (courges)  and  other  watery  vegetables."^  Similar 
references  are  to  be  found  elsewhere.  The  Relations  note  that 
few  died  of  this  complaint.^ 

A  number  of  the  older  people  still  cultivate  a  few  of  these 
old-fashioned  squashes,  of  which  specimens  were  obtained  on 
several  of  the  reservations.  One  of  these  resembled  a  very  small 
pumpkin;  the  other  was  a  rather  small,  marrow-like  squash, 
very  variable  in  form  and  producing  five  or  six  distinct  varieties 
from  the  same  seed.  The  varieties  were  round  to  oblong  and 
from  dark  green  to  dark  green  with  stripes  of  a  lighter  shade. 
None  of  these  were  referable  to  commonly  known  seedstore 
varieties. 

Squashes  were  commonly  planted  in  the  hills  of  corn,  the 
two  kinds  of  seed  being  dropped  in  together.'  Pumpkins  were 
grown  in  a  similar  manner.  Melons  might  be  grown  in  some 
sheltered  clearing,  where  there  was  sufficient  sunlight  to  make 
them  ripen. 

Varieties  of  CucurbitacecB^  {Onondaga  Names). 

The  small,  pumpkin-like  squash:    u'niQsa'p'wt'  udji'tgwa' 

ni'yut;    onapslap'WE"  (Oneida). 
The  small,  variable,  marrow-like  squash:    u'niQ^sa'Q'wi". 
Marrow  (common):    u'nip^sa'Q'wi*  u'nip'sis  (squash,  long). 
Summer  crookneck:    u'gu'aa'  u'nip'sa'Q'wc". 


'  Heckewelder,  History,  p.  355. 

*  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  LXIV,  p.  177. 

'Squashes,  in  some  places,  are  planted  early  in  hot  beds,  then  trans- 
planted;  in  earlier  times  they  are  said  also  to  have  been  started  indoors. 

<The  Cucurbitacese  are  classified  botanically  as  pumpkin,  vegetable 
marrow,  summer  crookneck,  scalloped  squash:  Cucurbita  pepo;  Hubbard 
squash:  Cucurbita  maieima;^  winter  crookneck:  CucurHta  moschata;  water- 
melon, citron:  Cucumis  citruUus;  muskmelon:  Cucumis  melo;  cucumber: 
Cucumis  saUvus. 


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Scalloped  squash:    u'nu'skahe'dQ'  u'niQ'sa'p'wt'. 
Pumpkin:     u'nipso'wan^'s    wad§'ses    (dragging    it    along); 

nowadays  the  first  word  only  is  used;    oneijzeragp'a 

(Mo.,    Caughnawaga). 
Hubbard  squash:    dega'nig'sa'si'haa'. 
Winter   crookneck:    dega'nip^sa'si'haa'      onag'aa'    (horn). 
Water-melon:   niQsaga"dt* (melon  to  eat  raw). 
Citron:   ena'djiu'tha'  nipsaga^dt'  (cooking  melon). 
Muskmelon:    wahia'.is   (getting  ripe). 
Cucumber:  uduQskai'ani". 

Boiled  Squash — wae'nigsu'   {On.). 

Cut  the  squash  into  halves;  wrap  in  basswood  leaves  and 
place  in  a  kettle;  add  a  little  water;  boil  for  two  hours;  remove 
leaves,  and  place  on  a  wooden  or  bark  dish  (u'sgda') ;  eat  with- 
out further  preparation. 

Squash  Baked  in  Ashes — wade'nigsg'da'gwa'  o'gqhdgg'wa'  (On.). 

The  whole  squashes  are  placed  under  hot  coals  and  cinders, 
obtained  by  kindling  a  large  fire  in  the  open,  or  in  an  old-fashioned 
fire-place.  The  ashes  are  then  washed  off  and  the  squashes  served. 
Another  name  applied  is  wade'nig'syda"  (On.). 

Mashed  Squash — u'nig'sa'  wdji'sgwa'  {On.). 

Take  the  squashes  when  sufficiently  mature,  cut  into  small 
pieces,  boil,  and  mash.  Eat  with  butter  and  a  little  sugar.  In 
olden  times  deer  suet  and  maple  sugar  were  used.  Any  squash 
may  be  cooked  in  this  manner. 

Squash    Used  in  Bread-Making. 

Old-fashioned  squashes  (uniQ^sa'g'wf  u'nigsee'dji's)  are 
cut  into  small  pieces,  boiled  and  mashed,  then  mixed  into  the 
paste  when  making  corn  bread.  Dried  squash  may  be  boiled  and 
mashed  and  used  in  the  same  way. 

Dried  Squash.  - 

In  the  autumn,  among  the  Canadian  Onondaga,  squashes 
are  frequently  cut  into  narrow  pieces  lengthwise,  then  dried  over 
the  stove  in  flat  evaporating  trays  or  baskets. 


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In  preparing  them  for  use,  the  dried  strips  are  washed  in  warm 
water,  soaked,  then  boiled  and  eaten  with  butter.  The  strips 
are  called  una'p'geia'  (On.). 

Pumpkin  Sauce — wnigsu'wane's  u'dji'sgwa'  (On.). 

Pumpkins  are  cut  into  pieces,  boiled,  mashed,  then  sweetened 
and  served  for  eating. 

Pumpkin  is  also  cut  into  pieces  and  dried  for  use  in  winter. 
When  required  for  eating,  it  is  washed,  boiled,  mashed,  and  sweet- 
ened. A  little  lard  may  also  be  added.  According  to  an  Oneida 
recipe,  the  dried  pumpkin  may  be  boiled  with  meat  to  the  con- 
sistency of  "potato  soup." 

Pumpkin  with  Beans — ga'nigswwi'  tca'gatgw^'du'  (On.). 

Cut  the  pumpkins,  when  fresh,  into  pieces;  boil,  adding  green 
beans  shelled  and  cooking  them  along  with  it ;  add  butter  and  salt. 

Preserved  Cucumbers — dega'nigsa^hiywdjisdc  (jOn.). 

Cucumbers  are  said  to  have  been  preserved  by  washing 
and  placing  them  in  a  brine  made  with  salt  and  sheep  sorrel,* 
deyagu'na^djiaks  (On.),  the  sorrel  being  placed  at  the  top  and 
bottom.  Quite  a  bit  of  the  latter  was  used.  A  board  with  a 
stone  on  it  was  placed  on  top  of  the  contents,  which  were  al- 
lowed to  stand  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  Pickles  prepared  in  this 
way  were  considered  a  great  delicacy.  This  was  probably  a 
European  recipe. 

Fried  Squash. 

The  squash  is  cut  into  quarters,  placed  in  a  bread  pan, 
and  put  on  the  stove  or  in  the  oven  to  fry.  Squash  cooked  in 
this  way  is  either  sweetened  or  seasoned  with  salt,  pepper,  and 
butter. 


'  Sheep  sorrel,  Rumex  acetosella. 


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Dried  Pumpkin  Sauce — u'nigsa'thq  wdji'sgwa'  wna'wtjgaa'  {On.). 

A  quantity  of  dried  pumpkin  is  placed  in  the  corn-pounder 
and  pounded,  sifted  to  a  fine  meal  or  flour,  boiled,  and  sweetened, 
after  which  grease  is  added. 

Baked  Pumpkin — wa^diksu-'da'  (On.). 

The  dried  pumpkin  is  pounded,  sifted,  then  soaked  in  cold 
water  for  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half.  It  is  then  sweetened 
and  grease  added.  A  pan  is  greased,  the  pumpkin  placed  in  it, 
marked  with  a  knife  into  cakes,  and  baked  in  the  oven. 

Cornmeal  and  Pumpkin — wdji'sgwa'  {On.). 

The  pumpkin  is  sliced,  boiled,  sugar  is  added,  also  Indian 
corn  meal  to  make  a  pudding.  This  is  eaten  with  sugar  and 
milk. 

Historical  Foods. 

Mention  is  made  historically  of  a  number  of  ways  of  pre- 
paring pumpkins  and  squashes.  Sagard  refers  to  them  as  an 
ingredient  of  "eschionque,"  which  consists  of  a  "soup  in  which 
one  has  first  cooked  some  shredded  meat  or  fish,  together  with 
a  quantity  of  squash,  if  so  desired."  This  was  thickened  with 
a  meal  made  of  parched,  dried  corn. 

For  ordinary  "sagamitd,"  or  "ottet"  (Huron),  unparched 
corn  was  ground  to  a  flour  and,  without  sifting,  made  into  a 
soup  with  some  sort  of  meat.  During  the  squash  season, 
squashes  were  frequently  cut  into  pieces  and  added  to  the  mix- 
ture.' 

Cooking  squashes  under  the  ashes  was  common  and  seems 
to  have  been  a  favourite  method  when  open  fire-places  were  in 
vogue. 

Squash  flowers  were  sometimes  used,  though  little  recol- 
lection of  this  seems  to  exist  at  present.  Upon  the  occasion  of 
a  visit  paid  by  Bartram  to  Onondaga,  in  1743,  there  was  served 


'  Sagard,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  96. 


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a  "kettle  full  of  young  squashes  and  their  flowers  boiled  in  water, 
and  a  little  meal  mixed."  Bartram  considered  this  "but  weak 
food."^    The  sterile  or  staminate  flowers  were  employed. 

The  Relation  of  1638-39  states  that  "the  usual  sauce  with 
the  food  is  pure  water,  juice  of  corn  or  of  squashes." 

LEAF,    STEM,    AND   BARK  FOODS. 

Extensive  use  was  made  by  the  Iroquois  of  the  vegetative 
parts  of  various  plants,  trees,  and  shrubs.  They  were  in  many 
cases  considered  great  delicacies  and  were  usually  collected  in 
the  earlier  part  of  the  season,  while  young  and  tender.  Many  of 
them  are  still  in  use  and  include  the  following,  which  are  cooked 
like  spinach  and  seasoned  with  salt,  pepper,  or  butter. 

Milkweed,  Asclepias  syriaca,  ua.'gw%'sda.'  (On.),  or  tganpha"- 
sahi's  (On.,  "milk  comes  out"),  utshe'wa'nda  (Mo.), 
gang'kwais  (Ca.) ;  used  in  three  ways : 

1.  The  young  plants,  stem  and  leaves. 

2.  When  the  stem  becomes  a  little  more  mature,  the 

leaves  only  are  used. 

3.  The  immature  flower  clusters. 

Plants  with  white  leaves  should  not  be  used.     These  are 

o'tgQ  (On.,  "witch").    Informant,  J.  Jamieson,  jun. 
Waterleaf,   Hydrophyllum   virginianum,   uatsg^'da'    (On.), 

u'si'iuks  (On.),  ora'sge'^da'  (Mo.) :  the  leaves  or  young 

plants. 
Marsh    marigold,     Caltha    palustris,    ganawaha'ks     (On., 

"makes  a  hole  in  the  swamp"),  ganawaha's  (Ca.). 
Yellow  dock,  Rumex  crispus,  die'da'  (On.),  i'died?  (Mo.), 

ganu'da'    (Ca.):    the  young  leaves,   before  the  stem 

appears. 
Pigweed,  Chenopodium  album,  ganadang'^wi*  (On.),  skana- 

dany'wt'    (Mo.),    gwrsgwts   gadiwano'gras    (Ca.,    "pig 

eats  it"). 
Lamb's  quarters,  Amaranthus  retroflexus  (Onondaga  name 

same  as  preceding),  diunhcgg  (Ca.). 
Mustard,  Brassica,  various  species,  more  particularly  B. 

nigra,  udji'tgwa'  niaw5hu"d4:  (On.). 


'  Bartram,  Journal,  p.  59. 


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Purslane,  Portulaca  oleracea,  udji'nowanhe"da'  (On.),  nonia- 

gai'i'i'  uhiagwi'ia'  (On.,  "partridge  toes"),  daksai'das 

usrda'   (Ca.,  "chicken  feet"),  udja'sgw§'da'   (Ca.). 
Dandelion,    Taraxicum    officinale,    udji'tgwa'    niaw^hu''dq. 

(On.,    "yellow    flower"),    odji'n'gwal'    niyudji'djo"DTj 

(Oneida),  ugah^do'nig  (Ca.,  "holes  in  the  stem"). 
Burdock,    Arctium   Lappa,    unpgwa'si'wane's    (On.):     the 

young  leaves  are  used. 
Nettle,  Urtica  dioica,  gohe"cra's  (Ca.) 
Skunk     cabbage,    Symplocarpus  fcetidus    (Mo.    o'se'dg"): 

(Ca.,   unra'dowa'nes  ganQ''sagras) ;    the  young  leaves 

and  shoots. 
Leek,    Allium    tricoccum,    u'np'sa'    gpda'dowani'yu'    (On., 

"onion  wild"). 
Wild  garlic.  Allium  canadense,  u'ng'sa'  ga'npsuha'ha'  (On.). 
Wood  betony,   Pedicularis  canadensis,  and   P-  lanceolata, 

gwcdis  (Ca.),  gw5''dis  (On.). 
Sjensitive    fern,  Onoclea  sensibilis,  dwa'hydes  gananitsga'- 

kwa'   (Ca.,   "deer,  what  they  lie  on"),  uni'suwekwa' 

(On.,  "bait"). 
A  number  of  plants,  such  as  the  sheep  sorrel,  purslane, 
dandelion,  water-cress,  burdock,  yellow  dock,  the  mustards, 
and  pigweed,  are  considered  to  be  European  introductions,  a 
further  illustration  of  the  readiness  of  the  Iroquois  in  the  adop- 
tion of  new  materials. 

Other  plants  are  said  to  have  been  eaten  raw,  in  some  cases 
with  salt.     These  include: 

Watercress,  Radicula  nasturtium-aquaticum,  ma^daks  (On.), 

diusai"dawit  (Ca.,  "pepper,  tastes  like"). 
Peppermint,  various  species,  u'nai'yunt  (Ca.). 
Oxalis,  OxaUs  corniculata,  deyuhiyu''djis  awenU"gaa'    (On., 

"sour  plant") 
Sheep    sorrel,    Rumex   acetosella,  qsu'tha'  utgw^^da'  niyut 

(On.,  "paint,  red,  like"). 
Leek  and  wild  garlic.     The  bulbs,  consisting  of  the  fleshy 

bases  of  the  leaves,  are  also  eaten  raw. 
Among  the  foods  derived  from  the  bark  or  branches  of  trees, 
shrubs,  and  woody  vines  are: 


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Grapevine,   Vitis  vulpina,  u'Dipgwi'saa'   (On.):    the   fresh 

shoots  are  eaten,  without  peeling. 
Sumac,  Ehus  glabra,  utgo''da'  (On.) :  the  fresh  shoots  peeled 

and  eaten  raw. 
Red  Raspberry,  Rubus  aculeatissimus,  na'djiu''gwa'  (On.); 

the  fresh  shoots  are  peeled  and  eaten. 
Pine,  Pinus  strobus,  and  others,  u'na''da'  (On.),  u'ne'dago'wa 
(Mo.,   white  pine),   gaiyydara'ggi   (Mo.,  white  pine). 
Cornstalk:  sections  are  cut  between  the  joints  and  chewed 

to  quench  the  thirst;   said  to  have  a  sweet  taste. 
Bark  of  the  soft  maple,  Acer  rubra  and  A.  saccharinum, 
aw§ha'tgwa  (On.);  the  bark  is  dried  beside  the  fire,  then 
pounded  in  the  mortar,    sifted,  and  made  into  a  bread; 
said  not  to  taste  badly. 
Bark  of  the  hard  or  sugar  maple,'  Acer  saccharum,  uhwa^da' 

(On.) :  is  used  in  the  same  way  as  the  preceding. 
Deer  excrement  was,  until  quite  recently,  gathered  and  made 
into  a  soup  by  itself,  or  a  small  quantity  was  tied  up  in  a  cloth 
and  placed  with  the  corn  when  the  latter  was  half  cooked.  This 
is  said  to  have  been  "strong  stuff."  It  seems  to  have  been  some- 
what of  the  nature  of  an  emergency  food,  or  one  used  principally 
by  poor  people.  Informants:  David  Jack  and  John  Jamieson, 
jun. 

ROOT    FOODS. 

Roots"  of  various  wild  and  cultivated  plants  were  evidently 
used  extensively  and  a  few,  such  as  the  wild  potato,  the  arti- 
choke, and  the  pepper-root,  are  still  eaten  by  some  of  the  older 
people. 

The  roots  of  the  yellow  pon'd-lily,  Solomon's  seal,  the  Indian 
turnip,  and  skunk  cabbage  are  referred  to  as  having  been  used 
in  the  Iroquois  area,  but  have  been  practically  forgotten  by 
present-day  Iroquois. 


'  Used  also  by  neighbouring  Algonkin  tribes,  such  as  the  Montagriais. 
See  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  VI,  pp.  271,  273. 
» On.,    ukde'ha'. 


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The  common  potato,  although  a  native  to  America,'  was 
a  comparatively  recent  introduction  among  the  eastern  wood- 
lands tribes,  arriving  there  with  the  general  adoption  of  Euro- 
pean products.  The  tubers  of  the  Apios  tuberosa  axe.  often  re- 
ferred to  as  potatoes  and  are  sometimes  planted  in  suitable 
locations,  though  they  are  not,  strictly  speaking,  cultivated. 
A  couple  of  interesting  old  varieties  of  potatoes  were  obtained 
from  Alexander  Snider  of  Tonawanda.  These  are  described  in 
the  list  of  roots  appended. 

Crinkle  root  or  pepper  root,  Dentaria  diphylla,  ikde'heks 
(On.):  eaten  raw  with  salt.  Some  boil  them.  A 
Mohawk  recipe  is  to  wash  the  roots  and  add  vinegar. 

Also  Dentaria  laciniata,  ukde'huwi  (Ca.). 

Groundnut,  or  wild  potato,  Apios  tuberosa,  ho'nonda'  (Ca.), 
unanu"gwa'  (On.),  gwehywene'ha'  o"nena'da'  (Mo., 
"Indian  potato"). 

Burdock,  Arctium  Lappa,  onpgwa^si'wane's  (On.).  The 
roots  were  dried  by  the  fire,  then  stored  away  for 
winter  use.  To  prepare  them,  they  were  soaked  and 
boiled  to  a  sort  of  soup. 

Claytonia,  or  spring  beauty,  Claytonia  virginica,  ganenu'- 
gQ'ta'   (On.). 

Artichoke,  Helianthus  tuberosus,  unanu"gwa'  (On.):  used 
raw,  boiled,  or  fried. 

Potato,  Solanum  tuberosum,  hononda'g'wi  (Ca.,  "old-fash- 
ioned potato"),  ona'nq,'da'  (Sen.). 

Two  very  old  varieties  of  potato,  cultivated  by  Alexander 
Snider,  Seneca,  of  Tonawanda,  were:  the  "Merino,"  a  reddish- 
coloured  potato,  medium  size,  rather  long  and  with  deep  eyes, 
Seneca  name  na'n^'des  or  "long  potato";  the  "horn"  potato 
(Sen.,  onQ"gaa'  ona'n^'da',  or  "horn  potato"),  small  in  size, 
elongated  and  tapering  to  one  end,  like  a  small  horn;  skin,  dark 
purplish,  considered  to  be  especially  suitable  for  baking. 


^  Sturtevant,  Kitchen  Garden  Esculents,  p.  542. 
De  Candolle,  Origin  of  Cultivated  Plants,  p.  49. 


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GENERAL  BOTANICAL  TERMS. 

Plant  (of  any  kind),  odjigo"djia'  (On.),  awenu^gaa'  (On.). 

Plant  (growing  in  bush),  ga'hagpha"  awenu"gaa'  (On.). 

Vine,  u^'sts  (On.). 

Bush,  ohp'da'  (On.). 

Sapling,  uwenawg"  (On.). 

Tree,  nigaie'nda'sa'  (On.),  krai'et  (Ca.). 

Large  tree,  gaiendowa'ne  (On.). 

EDIBLE  FUNGI  {On.,  un&'sa';    Ca.,  unra'^sa'). 

A  number  of  kinds  of  fungi  are  used  by  the  Iroquois,  and 
were  probably  employed  even  more  extensively  in  former  times. 
Among  the  kinds  enumerated  by  informants  were: 

Common   mushroom,   Agaricus  campestris,   una'sa'    (On.), 
anahau'tra'   (Ca.,  '.'hat"  or  "cap"),  e'skan  agohii"da' 
(Mo.,  "ghost's  ears"). 
Morel,  Morchella,  several  species,  Uya'g^"da'  (On.,  "penis"), 

ohQ'-da'  (Ca.,  "ear"). 
Puflball,  Lycoperdon  giganteum  and  other  species,  duwatage- 
hanegq,us  (Ca.,  "smoke  shoots  out"),  o'tgij  raona'daro 
(Mo.,    "devil's    bread"),    dewadi^e'gwae'gwas    ona-'sa' 
(On.,  "smoking  fungus"),  deyutwi'no'ni's  una'sa'  (On. 
"round  fungus"). 
John  Jamieson,  jun.,  stated  that  it  is  not  a  good  thing  to 
eat  the  puffball,  as  one  will  become  jealous.     The  name  he  gave 
for  the  fungus  was  utsD"gwa'  (On.). 

Polyporus  fungi,  various  species, ^  unra"sa'  (Ca.),  una'sa' 
(On.).  These  were  most  commonly  boiled,  or  used  as  an 
ingredient  of  soups.     One  informant  stated  that  they  were  boiled 


'  According  to  Chief  Gibson,  the  edible  Polyporus  fungi  are  differentiated 
according  to  the  kind  of  tree  on  which  they  grow.  Those  growing  on  maples 
are  uhwa"da'  una'sa';  on  hickories,  unanu'gaa  una'sa';  on  swamp  oaks, 
ganawago'ha'  una'sa';  on  white  oaks,  ga^dag^'ada"  una'sa';  on  red  oaks, 
gai'fdi'  una'sa'.  A  Polyporus  found  growing  on  rotten  pine  stumps  is  called 
una'sa'  ukdjinudo'nig  netu"  una'sudo'niQ  ("fungus  on  rotten  stump  growing"), 
A  number  of  the  Polyporus  fungi  are  edible,  including  P.  frondosus,  P.  pini- 
cola,  P.  sulphureus.    The  last  was  described  accurately  by  the  same  informant. 


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for  a  few  minutes,  then  drained  and  boiled  again  until  thoroughly 
done.  At  present  they  are  frequently  fried  in  butter  and 
seasoned  as  required. 

Fried  Mushroom — gandsage'i'da'wi'  (On.). 

Bring  a  kettle  of  water  to  a  boil,  add  the  mushrooms  (Poly- 
porus  or  other  kinds),  boil  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  drain; 
then  fry  the  mushrooms  in  butter  or  grease,  with  a  little  water 
added,  seasoning  as  desired.  The  common  mushroom  and  the 
puff  ball  are  first  peeled,  then  cooked  as  described. 

Mushroom  Soup — una'sa'  u'nega'gei'  On.). 

Boil  the  mushrooms  as  described  in  the  preceding  recipe, 
drain,  add  more  hot  water  and  also  some  kind  of  meat,  such  as 
pork;  boil  until  the  meat  is  cooked. 

NUTS   AS  FOOD   (nUT,   U"SU"GWA',   ON.). 

A  considerable  variety  of  edible  nuts  are  met  with  throughout 
the  Iroquois  country  and  were  not  only  eaten  raw,  but  were 
also  incorporated  into  other  foods.  At  present  they  are  usually 
cracked  and  eaten  as  a  treat  during  the  winter. 

The  gathering  of  nuts  was  usually  left  to  the  women  and 
children,  who  gathered  the  harvest  after  the  frosts  had  brought 
it  down.  The  hickory  nut  seems  to  have  been  the  most  widely 
esteemed. 

The  acorn  was  used  quite  commonly,  probably  more  par- 
ticularly the  sweet  kinds,  such  as  those  of  the  white  oak  {Quercus 
alba),  the  chestnut  oak  {Quercus  Prinus),  and  some  others. 
Even  the  bitter  acorns  of  the  red  and  black  oak  were  used  in 
times  of  necessity,  and  also  the  nuts  of  the  bitter  hickory.  The 
Hurons  are  said  to  have  prepared  them  by  "first  boiling  them  in 
a  lye  made  from  ashes,  in  order  to  take  from  them  their  exces- 
sive   bitterness."^    According  to  another    writer  "they   (the 


>  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXXV,  p.  99. 


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Hurons)  also  make  provision  of  acorns,  which  they  boil  in  several 
waters  to  remove  the  bitterness,  and  consider  them  very  good."' 
Nut-cracking  outfits,  consisting  of  a  couple  of  rounded 
stones  with  pitted  centres,  were  used  in  removing  the  shells. 
Many  of  the  older  people  still  remember  these  and  a  few  speci- 
mens are  occasionally  found. 

Nuts  Used  by  Iroquois: 

Hickory,    Carya    ovata,    unanu'gaa    (On.,    "shell    bark"), 
onendoga'a'  (Ca.). 

Bitter  hickory,   Carya  cordiformis,  oso"gwadji'wag4   (On., 

"bitter  nut"),  unpa'd^s  (Ca.). 
Walnut,  Juglans  nigra,  deyutsu"gwagwi"noni'  (On.,  "round 

nut"),  nyugwagwi'noni'  (Ca.). 
Butternut,     Juglans    cinerea, '  sa'su^gwis    or    dju"so"gwts 

(On.,  "long  nut"),  uge'hwa'  (Ca.). 
Hazelnut,  common,  Corylus  americana,  niyuhagwa'ha  us- 

tu'tsha'    (On.),    uso'witra'     (Ca.);     beaked,     Corylus 

rostrata,  u'hts  ustu'tsha'  (On.). 
Beechnut,  Fagus  grandifolia,  utsg^''^'- 
Chestnut,  Castanea  dentata,  uheya''da'  (On.),  uhi'da'  (Ca.). 
Acorns: 

Swamp  oak,  Quercus  bicolor,  ganawagpha'  u'su^gwa' 
(On.). 

White   oak,   Quercus  alba,   gai't'di'   u*su''gwa'    (On.), 
gaga'da'  (Ca.). 

Red  oak,  Quercus  rubra,  go'wi'  (Ca.). 

The   Chestnut   oak    {Quercus  Prinus)   was   probably 
included. 

Nuts  Used  in  Bread-making. 

A  Cayuga  informant*  stated  that  the  older  people  used  to 
crush  the  meats  of  the  hickory,  walnut,  butternut,  and  chest- 


'  Sagard,  Voyages,  vol.  I,  p.  97. 

'  Wife  of  late  Chief  John  Gibson,  Grand  River  reservation. 


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nut,  and  mix  them  with  the  cornmeal  for  bread.  Beans  or  ber- 
ries were  also  added  in  the  usual  way.  Any  kind  of  nut,  except 
acorns,  might  be  used. 

Nut-meat  Gravy. 

The  meats  of  the  hickory,  walnut,  and  several  others,  were 
pounded,  boiled  slowly  in  water,  and  the  oil,  skimmed  off  into 
a  bowl.  The  oil  was  boiled  again  and  seasoned  with  salt.  This 
was  used  with  bread,  potatoes,  pumpkin,  squash, '  and  other 
foods. 

Nut-meat  oil  was  often  added  to  the  mush  used  by  the 
False-face  Societies.  The  oil  was  also  formerly  used  (like  sun- 
flower oil)  for  the  hair,  either  alone  or  mixed  with  bear's  grease. 
Lafitau  remarks  that  the  mixture  was  used  as  a  preventive  of 
mosquitoes. 

Nut-meat  with  Potatoes. 

The  meats  left  after  skimming  off  the  oil  were  often  seasoned 
and  mixed  with  mashed  potatoes. 

Nut-meats  in  Hominy  and  Corn  Soup. 

Nut-meats  were  also  crushed  and  added  to  hominy  and  corn 
soup  to  make  it  rich.     This  was  described  by  several  informants. 

That  this  method  was  common  in  the  Iroquois  area  is  sug- 
gested by  Hariot,  who  states  that  "besides  their  eating  of  them 
after  our  ordinary  maner,  they  breake  them  with  stones  and 
pound  them  in  morters  with  water  to  make  a  milk  which  they 
use  to  put  into  some  sorts  of  their  spoonemeat;  also  among  their 
sodden  wheat,  peaze,  beanes  and  pompions  which  maketh 
them  have  a  farre  more  pleasant  taste." 

Other  Terms   {On.). 

Shuck  (outer  covering),  o'kda';    also  applied  to  the  shell. 

Nut-meat,  u'nie'e'. 

A  spoiled  meat,  uhetg?"!'. 

An  empty  or  shrivelled  nut,  odji'-sw^. 

Nutting-time,  utci"sa"io'ne. 


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I  shuck  the  nuts,  wa'gekdu''tca'. 
I  crack  nuts,  degatso"giaks. 
The  nuts  are  ripe,  utci'sa"i'. 
I  gather  nuts,  kso"gwanQ'gw?'s. 

FRUITS    USED    AS    FOODS. 

Berries  and  wild  fruits  generally  have  always  been  favourite 
aboriginal  foods  and  were  found  in  profusion  in  all  parts  of  the 
Iroquois  area.  Bressani  refers  to  the  use  by  the  Hurons  of 
"strawberries,  of  two  sorts;  the  blackberries,  which  grow  on 
briars;  the  hazelnuts,  and  certain  haws,  and  the  wild  plum. 
The  walnuts  have  scarcely  anything  but  the  shell,  and  the  cher- 
ries are  no  larger  than  a  pea, — being  little  else  than  stone  and 
skin,  and  very  sour.  There  are  some  wild  vines  (grapes?),  but 
in  small  quantity,  nor  are  they  esteemed  by  the  Barbarians 
themselves;  but  do  they  esteem  highly  a  certain  fruit  of  violet 
colour,  the  size  of  a  juniper  berry  (the  blueberry?)"^  Le 
Jeune  states,  that  "strawberries,  raspberries  and  blackberries 
are  to  be  found  in  almost  incredible  quantities.  We  gather 
plenty  of  grapes,  which  are  fairly  good."^  Among  the  fruits 
elsewhere  referred  to  are  the  cranberry,  mandrake,  and  pawpaw,' 
the  latter  being  found  in  southern  Ontario,  New  York  state, 
and  southward. 

Following  the  discovery,  a  number  of  European  products 
were  quickly  adopted.  The  records  of  Sullivan's  campaign  of 
1779  repeatedly  refer  to  the  orchards  of  apple,  peach,  and  other 
kinds  of  fruit  trees  found,  cis  well  as  to  the  general  advancement 
of  the  Iroquois  in  horticulture.  The  pear  and  cultivated  cherry 
were  also  introduced. 

Among  the  earliest  berries  to  ripen  is  the  strawberry,  which 
is  followed  closely  by  the  raspberry  and  others.  These  welcome 
events  are  celebrated  by  longhouse  ceremonies  in  which  thanks 
are  given,  while  quantities  of  the  fruit  are  eaten  in  the  feasts 
which  follow. 


>  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXXVIII,  p.  243. 
2  Ibid.,  vol.  X,  p.  103. 
•Ibid.,  vol.  XLIII,  p.  257. 


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A  number  of  special  utensils  were  connected  with  the  col- 
lection and  preservation  of  fruits.  Small  splint  baskets  for 
picking  are  attached  to  the  waist  in  front  by  means  of  a  cord 
passed  through  the  handle  (Plate  XXXV,  figs,  c,  d,  e).  The 
smaller  baskets  are  then  emptied  into  larger  pack  baskets  lined 
with  freshly-plucked  basswood  leaves  (Plate  XXXV,  fig.  f). 
Bark  receptacles  for  picking  were  probably  common  formerly 


Figure  2.     Berry  picking  basket  of  elm  bark,  used  by  Mrs.  John  Williams, 
Caughnawaga. 

(Fig.  2).  As  in  the  collection  of  many  food  materials,  the  pick- 
ing of  berries  was  the  women's  and  children's  employment. 

Gooseberries  were  freed  from  prickles  by  tying  them  up 
in  the  skin  of  an  animal,  and  later  in  an  ordinary  grain-bag. 
They  were  then  rubbed  until  the  prickles  were  broken  off. 

Berries  not  required  for  immediate  consumption  are  dried. 
This  may  be  done  in  several  ways.  The  fruit  may  be  spread  out 
just  as  it  is  upon  boards  or  in  flat  evaporating  baskets  (Plate 
XXXV,  figs,  a,  b),  and  dried  in  the  sun  or  by  the  fire;   or  it 


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may  be  mashed  and  afterwards  placed  in  small  cakes  upon  large 
basswood  leaves  to  dry.  It  may  also  be  cooked  and  afterwards 
preserved  in  the  manner  just  described.  It  is  finally  stored  away 
in  elm  bark  boxes  or  covered  baskets. 

Bartram,  in  a  journey  to  the  Iroquois  country,  describes 
the  drying  of  huckleberries  as  follows:  "This  is  done  by  setting 
four  forked  sticks  in  the  ground,  about  three  or  four  feet  high, 
then  others  across,  over  them  the  stalks  of  our  common  Jacea  or 
Saratula,  on  these  lie  the  berries,  as  malt  is  spread  on  the  hair 
cloth  over  the  kiln."  Underneath  this  was  kindled  a  "smoke 
fire."^     Kalm  and  other  writers  refer  to  similar  methods.^ 

When  wanted  for  use,  the  cakes  of  dried  berries  are  soaked 
in  warm  water  and  cooked  as  a  sauce,  or  mixed  with  corn  bread. 
The  dried  berries  were  often  taken  along  as  a  hunting  food. 

Principal  Varieties. 

Strawberry,    Fragaria   virginiana,    uhydadeka^gwa'    (On.), 

geniyuhijde'sha'   (Mo.). 
Wood  strawberry,  Fragaria  vesca,  var.  americana,  uhg'dts 

uhjidadeka''gwa'    (On.,   "tall   strawberry"),   dji'sQ'dak 

ganadowani'yu'  (Ca.,  "strawberry,  wild"). 
Red   raspberry,    Rubus   idaeus  var.   aculeatissimus,    una'- 

djiu^gwa'  (On.),  skanegwgdara'nq  (Mo.). 
Black    raspberry,    Rubus    occidentalis,    ugahe'i'gwa'    (On., 

"small  pieces"),  tQ'daktQ  (Ca.,  "bushes  leaning  over"), 

or  sw^'d^i  niyu'yu'd^  (Ca.,  "black  fruit"). 
Dwarf  raspberry,  Rubus  triflorus,  uhijdadeka"gwa'  ogahe"- 

gwa'  (On.,  "berry  with  big  eyes"). 
Thimbleberry,  Rubus  canadensis,  s*a«yis  (On.,  "long  fruit") 

sa'yezt'  (Mo.),  n^np  (Ca.). 
Purple  flowering  raspberry,  Rubus  odoratus,  go'danuwg'kwa' 

(On.,  "makes  costive");    berry  not  considered  edible; 

the  root  used  as  a  remedy  in  diarrhoea. 
Wild  gooseberry,  Ribes,  various  species,   tct'w^'dp'dQ'  or 

utce'hw^'da*  (On.). 


'  Bartram,  Observations,  p.  73. 
2  Kalm,  Travels,  vol.  II,  p.  101. 


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Wild  black  currant,  Ribes  floridum,  u'sg'da'  skah''QskahQ' 

(On.),  ona'daao'hi'  (Mo.)- 

dju'ea'gak  gQ'hiaks  (On.,  "raccoon  eats  the  berries"). 
Wild   red   currant,   Ribes   iriste,   skahQ"skah9'    utgw?"daa' 

(On.,  "currant,  red"). 
Blueberry  or  huckleberry,  early,    Vaccinium  pennsylvani- 

cum,  also  Gaylussacia  baccata,  uhia'dji'  niyuhu'ndag- 

waha  (On.). 
Late  blueberry,  V.  corymbosum  (?),  uhia'dji'  uhg'dis  (On., 

"blueberry,   tall"). 
Cranberry,     V.    oxycoccus    and    V.    macrocarpon,    ha"yuk 

(On.). 
Juneberry,  Amelanchier  canadensis,  ga'a'dugk   (On.),  ha'- 

dugk  (Ca.). 
Elderberry,   Sambucus  canadensis,   hu'sa'ha'    (On.),   ora'zi 

(Ca.),  onaa'ra'ge'ha  (Mo.). 
Nannyberry,  Viburnum  lentago,  saiya"dis  (On.),  also  called 

n^sdagw5''d5,  according  to  one  informant. 
Tree   cranberry.    Viburnum   opulus,   var.    americana,   n^s- 

dagw^"d5  (On.),  djiginQistagw9"dg  (Mo.). 
Wintergreen,  GauUheria  procumbens,  diyynia'gas  (On.). 
Partridge  or  squaw  berry,   Mitchella  repens,   noniagai'i'i' 

gQ'hiaks    (On.,    "partridge  eats  it"),  gwez^'   gana"ias 

(Ca.,    "partridge   eats   it"),    usai'sda'    gQ'hiaks    (On., 

"snake  eats  it"). 
Wild  grape,  Vitis  vulpina,  u"niQgwi''saa'  (On.),  gar'ragq'ha' 

o'na'han'  (Mo.). 
Mulberry,  Morus  rubra,  deyuderaha'kdp  (Mo.). 
Wild    red    cherry,    Prunus    pennsylvanica,    ganadjie"gwa' 

(On.) ;  not  commonly  used. 
Chokecherry,    Prunus   virginiana,    nia'ta''da"ni'    (On.)    or 

yatadani,  diagunia''ta's  (Ca.), 

deyagonia'dawq-'iks  (Mo.). 
Wild  black  cherry,  Prunus  serotina,  e'i'  (On.),  engo'a  (Mo.). 
Wild  plum,  Prunus  americana,  twi'sp'  (On.) ;  Prunus  nigra, 

g^ha'ha  (On.). 
Haws,   Crataegus  pruinosa,  submolUs,  and  others,  djigahe" 

dis  or  djigahe'disgo'na'    (On.,    "for  bread"),    djuga'- 


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hi'des  (Ca.),  gana'daij'ni'  (Ca.  for  one  of  the  haws — 

probably  C.  punctata),  o'ggwe-  u''hia',  or  "man's berries" 

(Ca.  for  C.  punctata}). 
Apple,    Pyrus   malus,    sowahiyu'na'    (On.),    zewahio'wane 

deyuya^dzike'a  (Mo.,  "the  sweet  apple"). 
Crab-apple,    Pyrus    coronaria,   uhiadji'wag^    (On.,    "sour 

fruit"),i 

hiadjiawa'gQ  (Ca.), 

diuwadj  i'st^u    (Ca. ) . 
Pear,  Pyrus  communis,  utshe°da'  u'hia'  (On.,  "like  a  jug, 

fruit"). 
Peach,  Prunus  persica,  gQ'^hwai't'  (On.). 
Pawpaw,  Asimina  triloba;  southern  Ontario,  New  York  state, 

and  southward. 
Mandrake,    Podyphyllum   peltatum,    ugwa'e'    (On.),    oskp- 

wi'da'  (On.),  ungi'hyste'  (Mo.),  ganyu'u' ogwa'a'  (Sen., 

wild  orange). 
Ground    cherry,    Physalis,   various   species,   dji'ha'   u'hia' 

(On.,  "dog-berry"),  gashe'w^dgta'  (Sen.,  "bells"). 

Other  Terms  (Onondaga). 

Berry-bush,  u'hia'  uhg'da'. 

Blossoms,  uw^'ha'. 

Prickles,  uhwi'kda'. 

Berry-patch,  wahiaye'ntwi". 

Dried  berries,  u'hia'ta  wahiata''di'. 

Berry  seeds,  uhia  udie'tsha'. 

Evaporating  basket,   uhiata"da'kwa'  gaa''saa'    (for  drying 

berries,  flat  basket). 
Berries  are  ripe,  un^'  uhia'i*. 
I  pick  berries,  wa'gahia'goa'. 
Plenty  of  berries,  ywada'hio'ni'  (Ca.). 


1  Among  the  various  actions  ascribed  to  "The  Evil-Minded"  (Oneida, 
Dawi'sga'l)  is  the  creation  of  the  crab-apple.  See  also  Caswell,  H.  S.,  Our 
Life  Among  the  Iroguois,  p.  233. 


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GENERAL  FOLK-LORE  ITEMS. 

It  was  stated  by  Alex.  Snider,  Tonawanda,  that  God'  made 
the  corn  with  plenty  of  oil  in  it.  This  was  noticed  by  the  Devil, 
who  threw  ashes  over  it,  thus  destroying  the  oily  quality.  Accord- 
ing to  John  Jamieson,  sen.,  corn  formerly  produced  all  the 
year  around.  You  could  pluck  off  an  ear  and  another  would 
grow  in  its. place.  The  Devil,  however,  threw  dirt  on  it  and 
covered  it  over,  so  that  it  has  only  one  season  now  and  is  not  so 
productive. 

Pines  used  to  bear  good-sized  berries  on  the  cones.  The 
Devil  looked  at  them  and  thought  they  were  too  good  for  the 
people,  so  he  threw  ashes  on  them  and  spoiled  them. 

The  Devil  noticed  that  walnuts  were  very  thin-shelled — 
in  fact,  had  only  a  thin  skin  over  them — and  also  possessed  very 
large  meats.  He  then  threw  ashes  over  them  and  made  the 
shells  hard  and  thick  and  the  meats  small.  The  last  two  items 
are  also  by  John  Jamieson,  sen. 

A  number  of  articles  used  in  much  the  same  way  as  chewing 
gum  were  mentioned  by  David  Jack  and  John  Jamieson,  jun. 
These  included:  slippery-elm  bark  mixed  with  wheat;  pitch 
from  dead  pines,  mixed  with  beeswax;  the  bast  or  inner  bark  of 
the  basswood;  the  buds  of  the  basswood — ^which  were  said  to 
keep  one  from  being  thirsty;  the  gum  of  the  spruce  (On.,  skan§"- 
d^s;  Ca.,  gan?''d5s);  the  spongy  tissue  found  in  the  teats  of  a 
female  deer,  a  material  which  is  said  to  last  well  and  to  have  no 
unpleasant  taste  or  odour. 

ANIMAL    FOODS. 

Lahontan  remarks  that  "these  Iroquois  nations  are  very 
advantageously  situated.  They  have  a  pleasant  and  fertile 
country;  but  they  want  roe-bucks  and  turkeys,  as  well  as  fish, 
of  which  their  rivers  are  altogether  destitute,  insomuch  that  they 
are  forced  to  fish  in  the  lake,  and  to  broil  or  dry  their  fish  with  a 


'  "God"  and  the  "Devil"  no  doubt  refer  here  to  the  deities  sometimes 
called  the  "Good-minded"  and  the  "Evil-minded,"  or  T'harQ'hiawa"-k"h(}' 
and  Tawi'skarp'  (names  by  Hewitt,  Handbook  of  American  Indians). 


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fire,  in  order  to  keep  them  and  transport  (Plates  XXXVI  and 
XXXVII)  them  to  their  villages.  They  are  in  like  manner 
forced  to  range  out  of  their  territory,  in  quest  of  beaver,  in  the 
winter  time,  either  towards  Ganaraske,  or  to  the  sides  of  the  lake 
of  Toronto,  or  else  towards  the  great  river  of  the  Outaouas."* 
The  scarcity  of  meat  or  game  in  the  Huron  country  is  also  fre- 
quently mentioned. 

A  wide  variety  of  animal  foods  was  employed  and  in  times 
of  scarcity  the  list  was  no  doubt  considerably  extended.  Most  of 
the  smaller  mammals,  birds,  amphibia,  and  even  some  of  the 
reptilia,  were  eaten,  also  many  of  the  mollusca,  Crustacea,  and 
insecta. 

Kinds  Prohibited  or  Avoided. 

A  number  of  more  or  less  positive  prohibitions  or  avoidances 
are  found,  though  there  seems  to  be  no  special  connexion  with 
totemic  animals.  For  instance,  the  flesh  of  pregnant  animals 
was  stated  by  a  Cayuga^  to  be  "no  good"  and  to  produce  diarrhoea. 
Animals  inhabiting  graveyards  should  not  be  killed  for  food,  or 
"bad  luck"  will  result.  The  spirits  of  dead  people  were  stated 
by  the  same  informant  to  be  in  these  animals. 

As  in  the  case  of  other  foods,  a  woman  at  the  menstrual 
period  is  not  allowed  to  touch  meat  intended  for  preservation  or 
for  general  household  purposes,  otherwise  it  would  spoil.  A 
poisonous  quality  was  also  thought  to  be  thus  imparted  to  food. 

In  trapping  such  animals  as  the  mink  or  muskrat,  the  car- 
cass, after  it  has  been  skinned,  must  not  be  thrown  upon  the 
ground,  or  the  animals  will  be  offended  and  no  longer  allow  them- 
selves to  be  taken.  A  Cayuga,'  who  furnished  the  information, 
was  accustomed  to  place  the  bodies  in  the  crotch  of  a  small  tree. 
The  Relations  and  other  early  records  refer  to  the  fact  that  among 
the  Iroquois  and  others  the  bones  were  not  allowed  to  be  thrown 
to  the  dogs,  or  non-success  in  hunting  would  result.* 


•  Cf.  also  Charlevoix,  Voyages,  vol.  Ill,  p.  118. 

Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed,  vol.  LII,  pp.  117,  119. 
*John  Jamieson,  jun. 
'  John  Jamieson,  jun. 

*  Jesuit  Relations,  Ri  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLIV,  pp.  301,  303. 


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The  porcupine  {Erethizon  dorsalis)  is  considered  to  possess 
special  powers  and  sometimes  receives  the  appellation  of  "witch." 
One  which  comes  prowling  around  the  hunter's  camp  should 
not  be  molested,  as  he  brings  news.  A  Seneca  informant' 
states  that  he  once  shot  one  and  afterward  found  out  that  a 
relative  had  died  about  that  time. 

If  you  handle  a  star-nosed  mole  {Condylura  cristata),  with- 
out killing  him,  you  will  be  afflicted  with  headache  and  nose- 
bleed.    As  a  preventive,  the  hands  should  be  washed  at  once.^ 

Some  informants  considered  that  those  making  a  meal  of 
turtle's  meat  would  be  a  long  time  dying,'  although  the  flesh 
was  admitted  to  be  good.  The  idea  of  sympathetic  magic  here 
involved  is  common.  An  Onondaga*  was  of  the  opinion  that  it 
was  the  heart  only  which  should  be  avoided.  It  is  said  that  the 
flesh  was  formerly  eaten  by  warriors  with  a  view  to  rendering 
them  difficult  to  kill. 

The  wood  frog  {Rana  cantabrigensis)  has  certain  peculiar 
powers  attributed  to  it.  If  one  rescues  it  from  'danger,  such  as 
from  being  swallowed  by  a  snake,  it  will,  according  to  an  old 
Oneida,  *  afterwards  assist  its  rescuer  in  time  of  trouble  or  danger. 
An  exact  counterpart  of  this  item,  though  throwing  no  more  light 
on  the  origin  of  the  idea,  is  found  in  "Our  Life  among  the  Iro- 
quois," by  Mrs.  H.  S.  Caswell.  The  dried  body  of  this  frog 
is  considered  to  possess  a  medicinal  value.  The  tree-frog 
{Hyla  versicolor)  was  said  by  an  Onondaga  to  be  a  "witch." 
Deafness  will  result  from  hearing  the  cry  of  one  of  these 
animals  which  has  been  injured. 

No  one,  according  to  a  Cayuga  informant,*  should  molest 
the  young  of  the  night-hawk  {Chordeiles  virginiana),  as  the  old 
one  would  swoop  down  upon  him  and  deafen  him  by  "booming' 
in  his  ears. 


^  Alex.  Snider,  Tonawanda,  N.Y. 
'  John  Jamieson,  jun. 

'  The  reflex  movements  after  death  continue  for  a  long  time  in  the  turtle- 
— sometimes  for  several  days. 

*  Peter  John,  Brant  County  reserve. 
"Anthony  Day,  Oneidatown,  Ontario. 
'  John  Jamieson,  jun. 


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The  flesh  of  the  chickadee  (Parus  atracapillus),  an  extremely 
small  bird,  is  popularly  said,  according  to  a  Seneca  informant,' 
to  make  any  one  eating  it  a  liar.  The  saying  is  said  to  have 
originated  in  the  story  of  a  band  of  warriors  who  were  refreshed 
upon  the  meat  of  a  single  chickadee  when  at  the  point  of  star- 
vation.^ 

A  number  of  birds  and  animals  are,  at  least  at  present,  con- 
sidered uneatable  on  account  of  their  disagreeable  flavour,  or 
unpopular  habits  of  feeding. 

Meat  is  absolutely  prohibited  when  certain  medicines  are 
being  administered,  such  as  those  possessed  by  the  secret  socie- 
ties. In  some  cases,  after  such  prohibition,  the  first  meat  eaten 
must  be  white  meat,  such  as  that  of  a  white  chicken. 

Food  which  has  been  run  over  by  mice,  or  by  a  small  animal 
which  seems  to  be  the  skink,  Eumeces  quinqueUneatus  (On., 
utskai^di'),  will  cause  the  teeth  to  decay  and  produce  vomiting 
of  blood.  Children  are  thought  to  be  frequently  killed  in  this 
way.' 

Other  Ceremonial  Usages. 

Dog's*  flesh  was  formerly  consumed  on  special  occasions  and 
as  a  ceremonial  observance.  Dog  feasts,*  in  fact,  are  said  to 
have  been  offered  to  "Aireskoui,"  the  Sun,  who  was  also  the  god 
or  "demon"  of  war,  this  observance  securing  success  in  war  or 
hunting  as  well  as  the  satisfactory  interpretation  of  dreams  and 
the  recovery  of  the  sick.  The  burning  of  the  white  dog  at 
the  Mid-winter  Festival  may  be  a  survival  of  this.  Stags  and 
bears  were  sometimes  offered  in  the  same  way. 


'  Chief  John  Gibson. 

'  One  chickadee  was  formerly  said  to  make  meat  enough  for  five  or  six. 
Informant,  Peter  John,  On. 

'John  Jamieson,  jun. 

*Sagard,  Voyages,  vol.  II,  p.  215,  remarks  of  the  Huron  dogs  that  they 
"howl  rather  than  bark,  and  have  straight  ears  like  foxes;  otherwise  they  are 
exactly  like  the  medium-sized  mongrels  of  the  French  villager.  They  serve 
instead  of  sheep,  to  be  eaten  at  feasts,  they  harry  the  moose,  and  discover  the 
lair  of  the  beast,  and  are  little  expense  to  their  masters."  Regarding  native 
dogs  see  Darwin,  Animals  and  Plants  under  Domestication,  vol.  I,  pp.  20,  21. 


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Ceremonial  cannibalism  was  evidently  quite  a  common 
practice,  the  offering  in  this  way  of  prisoners  captured  in  war 
being  considered  particularly  acceptable.  In  some  instances, 
according  to  the  Relations,  the  Sun  was  thought  to  be  offended 
and  to  withhold  his  favour  because  they  had  been  remiss  in  tor- 
turing and  eating  prisoners.  Portions  of  the  latter,  such  as  the 
heart,  the  lips,  and  other  parts  were  apparently  eaten  from  a 
belief  in  sympathetic  magic,  or  the  ability  to  acquire  the  bravery 
or  other  virtues  of  an  enenly.' 

Mammals. 

The  meat  of  the  deer,  bear,  and  the  larger  game  animals  is 
said  to  have  been  boiled,  after  which  the  water  was  changed,  the 
meat  subjected  to  another  boiling,  then  removed  from  the  pot, 
and  fried  in  grease.  The  soup  remaining  was  thickened  with  corn 
hulls  or  siftings.    Whole  corn  was  sometimes  added  instead. 

A  common  way  of  preparing  meat  was  to  broil  it  on  pointed 
sticks.  It  was  also  dried  on  a  sort  of  grating  of  sticks  placed 
over  a  fire.     The  fat  or  tallow  was  kept  for  cooking  purposes. 

The  oil  tried  out  in  cooking  the  meat  of  bear,  raccoon, 
porcupine,  and  other  animals  is  kept  and  used  for  medicinal 
purposes,  such  as  rubbing  on  the  back  and  chest  for  "cramps" 
and  for  application  to  newly-born  infants.  Deer's  tallow  is 
particularly  prized  for  certain  purposes,  such  as  for  snow-snake 
"medicine,"  the  principle  involved  being  the  familiar  one  of 
sympathetic  magic.  ^ 

Beaver  was  highly  appreciated,  especially  the  tail,  the  flesh 
of  the  animal  being  used  both  fresh  and  smoked.' 

Dried  meat  was  sometimes  boiled  to  soften  it  a  little,  after 
which  it  was  placed  in  the  mortar  and  pounded  to  a  sort  of  hash, 
then  boiled  again,  with  the  addition  of  grease  and  salt. 


'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLI,  p.  53,  Le  Mercier  re 
Onondaga  (1653-54). 

Ibid.,  vol.  X,  pp.  227,  229. 

Ibid.,  vol.  XXVI,  pp.  19  and  33,  Vimont  re  Iroquois  (1642-44). 
'  John  Jamieson,  jun.,  David  Jack,  and  others. 

'  The  use  of  beaver  meat  was  described  by  a  Seneca  informant,  Chief 
John  Gibson. 


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The  skunk,  Mephitis  mephifica,  is  still  eaten,  the  meat  being 
considered  good  for  all  kinds  of  ailments.'  Other  animals  eaten 
are  the  woodchuck  {Arctomys  monax),  the  muskrat  {Fiber 
zibethicus),  rabbits,  hares,  and  all  kinds  of  squirrels.''  The 
carnivorae,  generally,  seem  to  have  been  avoided. 

Mice  are  said  to  have  been  used  among  the  early  Huron, 
though  the  description  given  is  suggestive  of  the  short-tailed 
vole  {Microtus  Pennsylvanicus) . 

Birds. 

Among  the  principal  birds  eaten  are:  wild  ducks,  geese,  the 
larger  owls,  the  partridge,  quail,  woodcock,  snipe,  plover,  black- 
birds, woodpeckers,  the  robin,  the  meadow-lark,  and  the  mourn- 
ing-dove. A  number  of  others  were  no  doubt  utilized  in  case  of 
necessity.  Cranes  are  said  by  Loskiel  to  have  been  "seldom 
eaten."  The  loon  was  regarded  as  a  "witch,"  and  was  conse- 
quently avoided. 

Owls  are  said  to  taste  good.  They  are  boiled  until  half 
done,  then  roasted.     The  oil  is  saved  as  a  medicine. 

The  wild  turkey  and  pigeon  were  formerly  found  in  Iroquois 
territory,  but  have  now  disappeared. 

Wild  birds'  eggs  were  frequently  eaten,  and  included  those 
of  the  partridge,  quail,  wild  duck,  plover,  and  many  others. 
The  young  birds,  just  ready  to  hatch,  are  said  to  have  been  highly 
esteemed.^  The  number  of  eggs  in  a  partridge  nest  are  said  by 
John  Jamieson,  jun.,  to  indicate  how  many  years  longer  the  finder 
will  live. 

Batrachians  and  Reptiles. 

Frogs  of  several  kinds  were  an  article  of  diet,^  particularly 
the  larger  species,  such  as  the  bullfrog  (Rana  catesbiana)  and  the 
leopard  frog  (Rana  pipiens).  The  legs  were  skinned,  broiled  on 
pointed  sticks,  then  salted  and  eaten. 


'  David  Jack  (Ca.). 

'  John  Jamieson,  jun.,  says  that  he  has  often  killed  squirrels,  which  are 
liked  by  the  pigmies.  He  then  offered  tobacco  to  the  latter  and  asked  them 
for  luck  in  hunting  or  other  such  occupations.  The  squirrel's  body  was  then 
left  upon  the  ground  or  hung  up  in  a  tree. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  vol.  XLIV,  p.  299. 

*  Ibid.,  vol.  XXXIX,  p.  215. 
10 


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The  wood  frog  {Rana  cantabrigensis)  was  stated  by  an 
Oneida^  to  be  eaten  whole.  It  was  formerly  made  into  a  soup, 
though  the  informant  preferred  it  fried  in  butter.  The  bodies 
are  dried  and  made  into  a  broth,  which  is  used  medicinally. 
Other  small  frogs  were  probably  also  employed. 

Snakes  were  said  by  several  informants  to  have  been  used  in 
former  times,  though  this  was  denied  by  others.  Charlevois 
refers  to  the  use  of  the  rattlesnake  by  certain  tribes,  possibly 
including   the   Hurons.     The   meat   was   cooked    "like    fish."^ 

Turtles  and  turtle  eggs  were  employed  quite  generally,  and 
included  such  species  as  the  snapping- turtle  {Chelydra  serpentina), 
the  painted  turtle  {Chrysemys  picta),  and  the  wood  turtle 
{Clemys  insculptus). 

Turtle's  meat  was  said  by  Chief  Gibson  to  be  "good  medi- 
cine" made  into  either  a  soup  or  stew.  The  broth  is  considered 
to  be  good  for  throat  troubles,  or  for  newly-born  children. 

Fish. 

Fish  were  everywhere  a  favourite  food  (Plates  XXXVIII 
and  XXXIX),  although,  as  in  the  case  of  other  game,  the  supply 
was  often  limited.'  Nearly  all  kinds  were  eaten  and  formed  a 
common  ingredient  of  hominy,  corn  soup,  and  other  preparations. 
Even  the  intestines  were  utilized  in  former  times,  though  not  at 
present,  this  economy  having  been  practised  when  the  fish  were 
being  preserved  for  winter  use.'  Reference  has  been  made  else- 
where to  decayed  salmon  as  an  ingredient  of  soups. 

Eels  were  smoked  or  dried  and  used  like  fish.  Mention  is 
frequently  made  to  these  in  the  Relations  and  the  accounts  of 
early  writers  generally.  During  Bartram's  visit  to  Onondaga, 
for  instance,  his  entertainers  provided  "great  kettles  of  Indian 
corn  soup,  or  thin  hominy,  with  dried  eels  and  other  fish  boiled 
in  it."*    According  to  this  writer,  also,  "they  cut  a  stick  about 


'  Anthony   Day. 

'  Charlevoix,  Voyages,  pp.  125  and  209,  vol.  III. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XXXIX,  p.  215. 

*  Martin,  Life  of  Jogues,  ed.  by  J.  G.  Shea,  p.  123. 

'  Bartram,  Observations,  p.  60. 


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three  feet  long,  and  as  thick  as  one's  thumb ;  they  split  it  about 
a  foot  down,  and,  when  the  eel  is  gutted,  they  coil  it  between  the 
two  sides  of  the  stick,  and  bind  the  top  close  which  keeps  the 
eel  flat,  and  then  stick  one  end  in  the  ground  before  a  good  fire."* 
Boiled  Fish.  A  very  simple  method  was  to  boil  the  fish  until 
tender,  adding  salt  to  suit  the  taste. 

Fish  Soup — u'nega'gei'  (On.).  Fish  of  any  kind  is  boiled 
in  a  pot  with  a  quantity  of  water.  It  is  then  removed  and  coarse 
corn  siftings  stirred  in  to  make  a  soup  of  a  suitable  consistency. 

Fish  and  Potato  Soup.  When  potatoes  are  boiled,  spread 
the  fish  out  on  top,  cover  with  a  lid  and  cook.  When  done,  re- 
move the  fish  and  add  salt  and  pepper. 

Fried  Fish.  Fish  are  sometimes  fried  in  bear  or  deer  grease, 
salt  and  pepper  being  added.  Among  the  kinds  mentioned  as 
being  best  were  some  of  the  smaller  ones,  such  as  the  stone- 
carriers  {Exoglossum  maxillingua)  and  the  sticklebacks  {Gasteros- 
teus  bispinosus  and  Eucalia  inconstans) . 

Eels  are  usually  fried.  No  grease  is  added,  but  just  a  little 
water.  Sturgeon  is  cooked  in  the  same  way,  or  made  the  basis 
of  corn  soup,  as  previously  stated. 

Roasted  Fish.  The  fish  is  cleaned  and  stretched  open  by 
inserting  a  couple  of  small  sticks.  It  is  then  impaled  on  another 
sharp  stick,  which  is  stuck  in  the  ground  before  an  open  fire. 
The  fish  is  salted  before  roasting. 

Dried  Fish.  To  preserve  fish,  cut  and  clean  them,  rub  well 
with  salt  and  dry  in  the  sun  or  over  a  fire,  then  place  in  a  bark 
box  or  other  receptacle. 

Another  method  is  to  roast  in  front  of  the  fire,  then  hang  in 
the  smoke  from  an  open  fire-place. 

Additional  terms  {On.). 

Fish,  udjiii'da'. 

The  tail,  uda"sa'. 

Fins,  una^wi'na'. 

Scales,  u'sda'. 

Dried  fish,  ga^djigda'tha'di'. 


1  Ibid.,  p.  33. 


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Smoked  fish,  gai^'gwai'kdi'. 
Roast  fish,  ga's^'yuda'. 
Fried  fish,  g^djiQ'dag^'i'dawi'. 
Boiled  fish,  g4djiQ*du''gwa'. 
To  clean  fish,  gaygwada^gu^. 
To  remove  the  scales,  g^sd^^di'. 

Crustacea. 

The  only  crustaceans  eaten  by  the  Iroquois  were  the  cray- 
fish (belonging  to  the  genus  Cambarus).  These  have  very  little 
meat  upon  them  and  are  seldom  bothered  with  at  present.  The 
Onondaga  name,  udjie'ie',  signifies  "feet  that  pinch." 

Cooking  Recipes.  According  to  one  recipe,  furnished  by 
Chief  Gibson,  the  tails  only  are  used.  These  are  skinned  and 
fried  in  butter  or  grease. 

Crayfish  may  also  be  boiled  to  make  a  soup,  salt  and  other 
seasoning  being  added.  Another  method  is  to  make  a  stew  of 
wild  onions  or  leeks,  add  the  crayfish,  also  butter,  pepper,  and 
salt. 

A  simpler  way  is  to  salt  the  crustaceans,  impale  them  on 
pointed  sticks,  plant  one  end  of  the  stick  in  the  ground,  and 
roast  them  before  an  open  fire. 

Still  another  way  was  to  place  them  whole  under  the  hot 
ashes  or  cinders,  then  cut  them  open  along  the  back  and  eat  them. 

Insect  Foods. 

Information  was  obtained  regarding  several  insect  foods, 
and  it  is  evident  from  historical  records  that  a  number  of  others 
were  employed. 

Ants  of  various  species  are  said,  by  an  Onondaga  informant,' 
to  have  been  eaten  raw  on  account  of  the  acid  flavour,  though 
more  as  a  luxury  than  as  a  staple. 

At  Onondaga  Castle,  N.Y.,'  the  larvae  of  the  seventeen- 
year  locust  {Cicada  septendecim)  were  formerly  ploughed  or  dug 


•  Peter  John  and  others. 

'  Baptist  Thomas,  informant. 


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up  and  roasted  in  a  pot,  without  water.  They  were  stirred  while 
cooking  and,  when  they  were  thoroughly  done,  a  little  grease 
was  added.  Some  of  the  older  people  are  said  to  make  use  of 
them  still.  They  are  considered  to  be  "good  for  the  health." 
An  Onondaga  name  given  was  ogw^yu^da'.' 

Historical  Mention.  Mention  is  frequently  made  by  various 
writers  of  insect  foods.  Loskiel,  in  describing  the  foods  of  the 
Iroquois  and  the  Delaware,  refers  to  locusts,  although  the  use  of 
the  popular  name  leaves  us  in  doubt  as  to  whether  the  grasshopper 
or  the  cicada  is  meant.' 

Du  Perron,  in  the  Relation  of  1638-39,  mentions  the  prepara- 
tion by  the  Hurons  of  "a  porridge  made  of  the  mealof  Indian 
corn  and  water.  .  .  .  Sometimes  the  savages  put  in  pieces 
of  cinders,  to  season  the  sagamitd,  at  other  times  a  handful  of 
little  waterflies,  which  are  like  the  gnats  of  Provence;  they 
esteem  these  highly  and  make  feasts  of  them."' 

Brickell,  "Natural  History  of  North  Carolina,"  records  the 
use  of  "young  wasps"  among  the  tribes  of  that  area. 

Sagard,  also,  was  "much  disgusted  and  disturbed  to  see  the 
Huron  women  eat  the  lice  from  themselves  and  their  children; 
for  they  ate  them  as  if  they  were  both  good  and  tasty."*  The 
Montagnais  practised  a  similar  custom,  stating  that  it  was  "not 
that  they  liked  the  taste  of  them,  but  because  they  want  to  bite 
those  that  bite  them."' 

Mollusca. 

The  various  species  of  clams  seem  always  to  have  been 
favourite  articles  of  food  among  the  Iroquois.  This  is  borne  out 
by  the  archaeological  evidence  found  on  village  sites  identified 
as  Iroquoian.*  The  genera  include  Anodonta,  Unio,  and  Mar- 
garitana.  A  Cayuga  name  given  was  ga'nu'sa'.  The  same  name 
is  applied  to  oysters. 


1  Informant,  Baptist  Thomas,  Onondaga  Castle,  N.Y. 
'  Loskiel,  Hist,  of  Mission,  pt.  I,  p.  66. 

•  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XV,  p.  163. 

•  Sagard,  Voyages,  vol.  I,  p.  76. 

'  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  VI,  p.  245. 

•  Wintemberg,  W.  J.,  The  Use  of  Shells  by  the  Ontario  Indians,  Ont. 
Arch.  Rep.,  1907,  pp.  38,  39. 


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The  bivalves  are  boiled  and  made  into  soup.  Milk,  salt,  and 
butter  are  frequently  added. 

Another  method  of  cooking,  according  to  Chief  Gibson,  is 
to  fry  them  in  butter  or  grease. 

Various  land  and  water  gasteropoda  were  no  doubt  em- 
ployed, particularly  in  times  of  scarcity.  An  Onondaga  name 
for  water  gasteropods  is  dji's^w^  (brains).  This  is  also  applied 
to  the  slugs  or  shell-less  snails.  An  Onondaga  name  for  shell- 
bearing  gasteropoda  is  ungsage^dt'  (they  carry  a  house).  A 
Cayuga  term  is  dri'drp'wa'  (having  horns). 

Among  the  historical  references  to  this  class  of  foods  is  one 
by  Loskiel,  who  mentions  the  employment  of  "mussels  and  oy- 
sters."! 

Brickell  also  remarks  of  these  that  "they  are  only  made  use  of 
by  the  Indians,  who  eat  them  after  five  or  six  hours  boiling  to 
make  them  tender."^  According  to  the  same  writer,  certain 
kinds  were  preserved  by  drying.' 

SACCHARINE  FOODS. 

Maple  Syrup  and  Sugar. 

The  sap  of  the  maple,  birch,  and  several  other  trees  was 
employed  prehistorically.  Besides  its  use  as  a  beverage,  it  was 
boiled  and  thickened  somewhat,  though  its  manufacture  into 
sugar  must  have  been  exceedingly  difficult,  if  not  impossible, 
with  the  crude  utensils  at  hand. 

References  to  the  employment  of  sap  are  found  in  several  of 
the  earlier  Relations.  Nouvel,  for  instance,  refers  to  a  "liquor 
that  runs  from  the  trees  toward  the  end  of  Winter,  and  which 
is  known  as  'Maple-water.'  "^  This  was  written  in  1671,  and 
refers  to  the  Ottawas  of  Ekaentouton.  Le  Jeune,  in  1634, 
observed  that  the  Montagnais,  when  pressed  by  famine,  eat 
"the  shavings  or  bark  of  a  certain  tree,  which  they  call  Michtan, 
which  they  split  in  the  Spring  to  get  from  it  a  juice,  sweet  as 


'  Loskiel,  History,  pt.  I,  p.  66. 

2  Brickell,  History  of  North  Carolina,  p.  249. 

•Ibid.,  pp.  288,  367. 

<  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  LVI,  p.  101. 


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honey  or  as  sugar;  .  .  .  but  they  do  not  enjoy  much  of  it, 
so  scanty  is  the  flow."  Neither  of  the  foregoing  refer  to  sugar, 
mention  of  which  occurs  only  in  later  records. 

Carr,  with  regard  to  sugar-making,  considers  that  "As  to 
the  maple  sugar  .  .  .  there  can  be  no  doubt.  It  was  made  where- 
ever  the  tree  grew,  and  it  found  especial  favour  as  an  ingredient 
in  their  preparation  of  parched  corn-meal,  or  as  we  call  it,  nocake 
or  rockahominy."^  Charlevoix,  on  the  other  hand,  states  that 
the  Abnaki,  "when  the  sap  begins  to  rise  .  .  .  make  a  Jag  or 
Notch  in  the  Trunk  of  the  Maple,  and  by  Means  of  a  Bit  of 
Wood  which  they  fix  in  it,  the  Water  runs  as  by  a  Spout.  .  .  . 
It  is  certain  that  they  did  not  know  how  to  make  a  Sugar  of  it, 
which  we  have  since  taught  them.  They  were  contented  to  let 
it  boil  a  little,  to  thicken  it  something,  and  make  a  Sort  of  Syrup."* 
The  latter  observation  seems  to  have  been  true  throughout 
the  area  occupied  by  the  Iroquois  and  their  neighbours,  although, 
with  improved  utensils,  the  making  of  sugar  was  quickly  adopted. 

Methods,  within  the  historical  period,  appear  to  have 
changed  but  little.  Loskiel  refers  to  the  use  of  a  "funnel  made 
of  bark"  which  was  used  to  convey  the  sap  into  "wooden  troughs 
or  dishes."  Basswood  chips  for  spiles  and  wooden  troughs  are 
still  employed  by  some  of  the  Iroquois  (Plate  X).  Troughs 
were  also  made  of  elm  bark.  A  Cayuga  informant'  states 
that  an  old-time  method  of  tapping  was  by  breaking  the  end 
of  a  limb. 

The  sugar-moulds  described  by  Loskiel  were  "broad,  wooden 
dishes  of  about  two  inches  in  depth."  The  crystallizing  syrup 
was  "stirred  about  in  these  until  cold."  The  sugar  was  also 
allowed  to  crystallize  in  the  kettles.*  A  model  of  a  box-like 
mould,  held  together  by  wooden  clamps,  was  made  for  the 
writer  by  one  of  the  older  Onondaga.'  According  to  the  latter, 
the  sugar  was  also  run  into  small  tin  pans,  forming  cakes  of  a 
certain   weight. 


'■  Carr,  Food  of  Certain  American  Indians. 

2  Charlevoix,  A  Voyage  to  North  America,  vol.  I,  p.  83. 

'  John  Jamieson,  jun. 

'Loskiel,  History,  pt.  I,  pp.  72,  73. 

'  Peter  John. 


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The  sap  was  stored,  in  preparation  for  boiling,  in  a  large 
wooden  trough  formed  by  hollowing  out  the  trunk  of  a  tree. 

The  hard  or  sugar  maple  {Acer  saccharinum)  was  considered 
best,  although  the  soft  maple  {Acer  saccharum)  and  the  birch 
were  also  used.  Besides  its  food  use,  the  sap  of  the  soft  maple  is 
considered  valuable  for  sore  eyes.  It  was  stated  by  a  Cayuga' 
that  hickory  chips  were  sometimes  boiled  to  obtain  a  "sweet 
water,"  which  was  added  to  corn  to  make  corn  soup.  According 
to  Charlevoix,  the  Abenaki  also  employed  the  sap  of  the  plant  or 
buttonwood,  the  ash,  walnut  trees  of  different  sorts,  and  the 
wild  cherry.''  Walnut  sap  is  said  to  have  been  very  sweet, 
though  the  sugar  made  from  the  wild  cherry  is  said  never  to  have 
lost  its  bitterness.  The  use  of  "les  Noyers,"  or  nut-bearing 
trees,  and  the  ash  is  confirmed  by  Lafitau,  who  remarks  that  the 
sap  of  the  ash,  though  delicate,  was  scanty  in  flow.' 

Terms  used  {Onondaga). 

Bark  pot,  ga'SQ''da'  gana'djia'. 

Sap  trough,  niga'hQ'wa'sa"  g'gaieda'kwa'. 

Sap,  uwenowe'da'gei'  (sweet  juice),  or  wa'gae'da'. 

Maple  syrup,  ohwa^da'  use'sda'. 

Maple   sugar,    ohwa"da'    uwenow^'da'    (or    simply,    uwe- 

now§''da'). 
Spile,  Q'gaieda'kwa'  o'ga'e'  (to  stick  in,  chip). 
Gash  made  in  the  tree,  ga'o". 
Sugar  mould,  eanaw§'daa'kwa'  gahQ''saa'  (to  put  sugar  in, 

box  or  trough). 
Wooden  storage  trough  for  sap,  t'negaa'kwa'. 
The  sap  is  running,  ga'ne'gu's. 
He  is  gathering  the  sap,  hane'gai'ets. 
He  is  boiling  the  sap,  hoyaha"dg'. 
They  are  boiling  the  sap,  diuya'h^s. 
He  is  making  sugar,  hainaw^'do'niaha'. 
He  is  tapping  the  trees,  ha'gaie'tha'  (putting  chips  in  the 

tree). 


'  John  Jamieson,  jun. 

'  Charlevoix,  A  Voyage  to  North  America,  pt.  I,  p.  84. 

'  Lafitau,  Moeurs  des  Sauvages  Ameriguains,  pt.  II,  pp.  155,  156. 


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The  tree  is  tapped,  wa'ga'e'da'. 

It  is  ready  for  sugaring,  gondihe'do'niugk  one  (it  is  making 
bubbles  of  steam). 

Season  for  sugar-making,  undanada'sania^ta'  (fixing  up  the 
sugar  camp). 

Honey. 

The  honey-bee  {,Apis  mellifica)  was  a  European  importation. 
Kalm,  who  visited  the  Iroquois  country  in  1748-50,  remarks 
that  "the  Indians  likewise  generally  declare,  that  their  fathers 
had  never  seen  any  bees  either  in  the  woods  or  anywhere 
else,  before  the  Europeans  had  been  several  years  settled  here. 
This  is  further  confirmed  by  the  name  which  the  Indians  give 
them:  .  .  .  they  call  them  English  flies.  .  .  .  They 
have  not  yet  been  found  in  the  woods  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Blue  Mountains,  which  confirms  the  opinion  of  their  being  brought 
to  America  of  late."* 

The  honey  used  was  principally  that  derived  from  escaped 
swarms,  while  the  methods  employed  in  locating  these  resemble 
those  of  the  white  settlers. 

Bees  in  the  act  of  swarming  are  stopped  by  throwing  water 
upon  them,  or  shooting  near  them. 

When  a  bee-tree  is  chopped  down,  a  little  honey  is  left  for 
the  bees  in  order  to  secure  "good  luck;"  otherwise  a  man  is  liable 
to  have  his  game  stolen  by  other  animals,  or  to  meet  with  other 
troubles. 

The  honey  is  cleared  of  dirt  and  leaves  by  hanging  it  up  in 
a  cotton  bag  to  drain.  Besides  its  use  as  a  food,  the  honey  is 
considered  medicinal. 

A  remedy  for  bee  stings  is  to  obtain  some  clover  leaves,  mash 
them  a  little,  and  apply  as  a  poultice.  This  appears  to  contain 
the  idea  of  sympathetic  magic,  the  clover  being  the  favourite 
resort  of  bees. 


*  Kalm,  Travels,  vol.  I,  p.  288. 


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Some  Onondaga  Terms. 

Honey-bee,   gpdianaw^donia'ha'    (making  honey  or  sweet 

stuff). 
Bumble  bee,  na'ggda'gwa'ne'gona  (big  bee). 
Honey,  use'sda'. 

BEVERAGES. 

Water  was  naturally  the  most  common  beverage.  The 
sites  of  villages  everywhere  are  found  to  be  in  proximity  to  some 
sort  of  water  supply.  Sometimes  this  was  in  the  form  of  springs, 
or  spring  creeks,  rivers,  or  even  pondholes  or  ditches,  sources 
which  are  still  more  or  less  in  favour  in  many  localities. 

When  a  red  blood-sucker  or  leech  (On.,  djiagwai'c'nt* 
utgw?"da'  nigaia'do''d^')  is  seen  in  the  water,  the  latter  is 
not  considered  fit  for  drinking.  The  people  are  warned 
by  the  longhouse  preachers  against  water  contaminated  in  this 
way  and  are  told  that  it  will  cause  them  to  waste  away  and  die.* 

Palisaded  villages  were  frequently  constructed  so  as  to 
provide  a  water  supply,  though  the  unfortunate  results  of  neglect 
in  this  respect  were  at  times  experienced. 

One  of  the  most  easily  prepared  beverages  was  probably 
that  noted  by  Loskiel,  who  remarks  that  "the  common  drink  of 
the  Indians  at  their  meals  is  nothing  but  the  broth  of  the  meat 
they  have  boiled,  or  spring  water. "^  He  also  observed  that  they 
"prepare  a  kind  of  liquor  of  dried  bilberries,  sugar  and  water, 
the  taste  of  which  is  very  agreeable  to  them."  These  were 
probably  some  one  of  several  species  of  Vaccinium  or  blueberry, 
although  the  name  is  sometimes  popularly  applied  to  the  june- 
berry,  Amelanchier  canadensis,  and  related  species.  The  water 
in  which  corn  bread  is  boiled  is  likewise  preserved  for  drinking 
purposes.' 


•  John  Echo  and  others,  Grand  River  reserve. 

^  Loskiel,  Hist,  of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren,  pt.  I,  p.  74. 

'  A  Seneca  name  given  by  Parker  is  O'niyustagi'.     N.  Y.  State  Mus.  Bull., 
144,  p.  71;   cf.  also  Beverly,  Hist,  and  Present  State  of  Virginia,  p.  151. 

Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XV,  p.  159:  "The  usual  sauce 
with  the  food  is  pure  water,  juice  of  corn  or  of  squashes." 


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Berries  were  evidently  quite  frequently  used  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  drinks.  These  were  not  only  noted  historically,  but  are 
popular  at  present.  Blackberries  or  thimbleberries  and  water, 
sweetened  with  maple  sugar,  is  common  both  for  home  consump- 
tion and  in  longhouse  ceremonies.  This  drink  was  called  uhia'- 
get'  (On.).  The  fresh  berries  are  preferred  when  these  are  ob- 
tainable, though  they  are  also  dried  or  otherwise  preserved  and 
enjoyed  throughout  the  winter.  This  drink  is  employed  as  a 
refreshment  at  the  meetings  called  hadi'hi'dus  and  the  making 
of  niga'ne'gaa'  medicine,  as  are  also  similar  concoctions  of  straw- 
berries and  raspberries  at  their  respective  festivals.  At  certain 
of  these  functions  the  juice  is  sometimes  sprayed  from  the  mouth 
upon  the  heads  of  those  desiring  health  and  prosperity  for  the 
coming  season.^  In  such  cases  the  liquid  must  be  made  by  those 
undergoing  the  ceremony.  Huckleberries  may  be  used  for  the 
same  purpose.  Fresh  blackberries  are  particularly  sought  after 
for  the  Big  Green  Corn  Dance  in  the  early  autumn.  The  drinkers 
in  each  case  make  an  effort  to  get  a  share  of  the  berries  which 
settle  to  the  bottom.  An  active  medicinal  value,  aside  from 
ceremonial  uses,  is  ascribed  to  several  varieties  of  berries  and 
other  fruits  or  to  beverages  made  from  them. 

Corn  coffee,  made  after  the  following  method,  is  a  well- 
known  Iroquois  beverage;  whole  ears  of  corn  are  dried,  then 
placed  on  the  coals  and  turned  carefully  until  they  roast.  These 
are  placed  in  a  kettle  of  water  and  boiled.  Sugar  may  be  added 
if  desired,  also  buttermilk  or  ordinary  milk.  A  name  applied  to 
this  by  Chief  Gibson  is  gan^hage^'da-'wi"  d^yptnegQ'd^',  mean- 
ing "roasted  corn  to  make  a  drink." 

A  sunflower  coffee  is  said,  by  the  same  informant,  to  have 
been  made  by  roasting  sunflower  seeds,  grinding  them  a  little 
in  the  mortar,  sifting,  and  saving  the  shells.  Boiling  water 
poured  over  the  latter  is  said  to  make  a  beverage  tasting  just 
like  coffee.     This  was  called  q,yeditsha-'nia'  (On.). 

A  so-called  coffee  was  also  stated  to  be  sometimes  made  from 
the  wild  plum,  g^ha'ha.  The  plums  are  cut  along  one  side,  the 
stones  removed,  and  the  fruit  dried  on  boards  or  in  evaporating 


>  Boyle,  Dr.,  Ont.  Arch.  Rep.,  1898,  p.  140. 


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baskets  in  the  sun.  The  beverage  is  made  by  adding  boiling 
water  to  the  dried  fruit  and  is  called  d^yytne'gQd^:'  (On.)- 

The  sweet  juice  derived  from  the  stalks  of  corn  is  frequently 
mentioned  by  the  early  writers.  Loskiel  states  with  regard  to 
this  that  the  cornstalk  "when  unripe,  is  full  of  a  sweet  juice  like 
sugar.  "^  Some  of  the  older  people  still  remember  when  sections 
of  cornstalk  were  cut  and  chewed  as  a  means  of  allaying  thirst. 

Another  coffee-like  concoction,  evidently  known  in  Loskiel's 
time,  was  made  from  chestnuts.  "Sometimes  they  are  roasted 
like  coffee-beans,  and  a  kind  of  beverage  made  of  them,  nearly 
resembling  coffee  in  color  and  taste,  but  of  a  laxative  nature."* 

Hickory  nuts,  still  plentiful  throughout  the  Iroquois  country, 
formed  the  basis  of  a  savory  beverage.  The  writer  previously 
quoted  observes  that  "the  Indians  gather  a  great  quantity  of 
sweet  hiccory  nuts,  which  grow  in  great  plenty  in  some  years, 
and  not  only  eat  them  raw,  but  extract  a  milky  juice  from 
them,  which  tastes  well  and  is  nourishing."' 

A  drink  which  was  always  welcomed  in  its  appropriate  sea- 
son was  the  juice  of  the  maple  and  sometimes  of  the  birch.* 
All  that  was  necessary  was  a  rough  incision  in  the  bark  or  the 
broken  end  of  an  overhanging  limb,  with  a  dish  of  bark  or  wood 
to  catch  the  liquid.  Lafitau  mentions,  among  sources  of  sugar 
or  sap  other  than  the  maple,  "les  Noyers,"  members  of  the 
hickory  and  walnut  family,  whose  juice,  however,  would  seem 
to  have  been  too  strongly  medicinal  to  have  been  generally  in 
favour.' 

Maple  sap  is  said  to  have  been  sometimes  fermented  and, 
used  as  an  intoxicant,  though  its  use  could  never  have  been  st,V 
all  common.     This  sometimes  turned  to  a  vinegar,  which  was 


1  Loskiel,  pt.  I,  p.  67. 

2  Ibid.,  p.  70. 

"Ibid.,  p.  71;  cf.  also  Smith,  Map  of  Virginia,  1612,  p.  12. 

*  Hunter,  J.  D.,  Memoirs  (London,  1824),  p.  415. 

'  Williams,  Roger,  Key,  p.  90:  "Beere"   drink  is  mentioned.     This  was 
made  by  the  English  settlers  from  the  chips  of  the  walnut,  the  idea  probably  ' 
being  borrowed  from  the  Indians.     The  drink  was  said  to  taste  good  and  to  be 
mildly  laxative. 


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also  consumed.*  The  fermentation  of  sweet  liquids  and  fruit 
juices  takes  place  so  readily  that  the  discovery  could  not  have 
been  readily  avoided.  The  chief  difficulty  seems  to  have  been 
in  the  lack  of  receptacles  for  keeping  the  beverages.  In  Pinker- 
ton's  voyages  we  find  the  assertion  with  regard  to  certain  tribes 
inhabiting  Virginia,  not  far  from  the  Island  of  Roanoke,  that 
"their  drink  is  only  water,  but  while  the  grape  lasteth  they  drink 
wine,  and  for  want  of  casks  to  keep  it,  all  the  year  after  they 
drink  water,  but  it's  sodden  with  ginger  in  it  and  black  cinnamon, 
and  sometimes  sassafras,  and  divers  other  wholesome  and  medi- 
cinal herbs  and  trees."^ 

That  wine-making  was  not  an  Iroquois  custom  is  indicated 
by  Lafitau,  who  observed  that,  "the  grape  is  found  in  all  parts  of 
America;  but  it  was  nowhere  cultivated  by  the  savages,  nor  did 
they  know  the  secret  of  making  wine."'  Sagard  remarks  the 
same  of  the  Hurons.*  Wine  of  wild  grapes  was  given  by  a  Caugh- 
nawaga  informant^  as  an  ingredient  in  a  medical  prescription 
for  bloodlessness,  though  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  any  ancient 
origin.*  Mohawk  names  for  the  wild  grape  are  gar'sagyha' 
or  o'ngt'hart'. 

Infusions  of  the  leaves,  roots,  twigs,  bark,  or  flowers  of 
certain  plants  and  trees  were  frequently  employed  and  quite  a 
number  of  the  older  people  still  remember  their  use.  One  of  the 
best  lists  was  furnished  by  Mrs.  John  Williams  (Mo.),  Caugh- 
nawaga: 

Hemlock,  ong'da'ijwt'.  Take  the  leaves,  steep,  sweeten 
with  maple  sugar,  and  eat  with  corn  bread  or  at  meals.  Other 
names  are  gan^'d^s  (Ca.),  san4da''ta'  (Ca.),  wana'djy'ni'  (Mo.). 


'  Fermented  sap  is  called  in  Onondaga,  gawi'shi'  uwcnaw^'da'get'.  Vine- 
gar is  deyu'nega"hiyu"djis. 

•  Pinkerton,  Voyages  and  Travels,  vol.  12,  p.  568. 
» Lafitau,  Moears,  vol.  I,  p.  112. 

•  Sagard-Theodat,  Voyage,  vol.  I,  p.  71. 
Hunter,  J.  D.,  Memoirs  (London,  1824),  p.  261. 

'  Mrs.  Katie  Dybeau. 

•  Lawson  (per  Brickell),  Nat.  Hist,  of  N.  Carolina,  p.  291 :  "Neither  were 
they  acquainted  with  any  kind  of  intoxicating  liquors  before  the  arrival  of 
Christians."     These  were  neighbours  of  the  Iroquois. 


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Black  or  sweet  birch  {Betula  lento),  djo'djoTg.  The  twigs 
from  the  small  growth  are  taken,  made  into  a  small  bundle,  and 
steeped. 

Sassafras,  a'tsdas,  was  widely  used.  A  tea  was  made  of  the 
roots.  This  was  frequently  employed  at  weddings  on  account 
of  its  agreeable  odour.  Loskiel  states  that  sassafras  "flowers 
serve  for  tea."^  The  tree  was  also  highly  valued  for  its  medi- 
cinal virtues.  A  Cayuga  name  is  wa'a'nagras.  This  is  rendered 
in  Onondaga  as  u'gjia'gas.  A  Cayuga  name  by  J.  Hess  is 
na'statra'. 

Spicewood,  dawaasery'ni,  furnished  its  sweet-smelling  twigs 
and  branches  which  were  cut  up  and  steeped.  Cayuga  and 
Seneca  names  are  dewatai'nias  and  da"dia's. 

The  wintergreen,  dzo'dzo'rqtsera'geras  (Mo.).^  was  in- 
cluded. The  leaves  of  this  were  steeped.  It  is  called  in  Onon- 
daga una''dad5's. 

Yarrow,  deyohuda^sg,  a  plant  which,  like  all  the  others  named 
was  used  for  medicine,  or  as  a  medicinal  ingredient,  formed 
a  very  agreeable  drink  when  an  infusion  of  suitable  strength 
was  made.  Yarrow  was  also  called  aro'zg  oda''sy,  or  squirrel 
tail.  Onondaga  names  given  are  un§"da'  and  ga's^hayenda'- 
kwa'  (looking  like  frosty  or  cold  weather). 

Witch-hazel,  dagwa'a'dro'ni'  (Ca.)  was  stated  by  Chief 
David  Jack  to  be  made  into  a  decoction  of  suitable  strength, 
sweetened  with  maple  sugar  and  used  as  a  tea  at  meals. 

The  young  twigs  of  red  raspberry,  gwa"dan§'  (Sen.),  accord- 
ing to  Barber  Black,  Tonawanda,  N.Y.,  were  stripped  of  the 
leaves,  placed  in  hot  water  and  steeped,  then  sweetened  with 
sugar  in  the  usual  way. 

Sumac  seed  clusters  seem  also  to  have  been  boiled,  during 
the  autumn  and  winter,  as  a  beverage.  It  is  probable  that  in- 
fusions of  many  other  materials,  including  various  edible  roots, 
and  forming  broths  or  soups,  with  more  or  less  of  a  food  value. 


'Loskiel,  pt.  I,  p.  115. 

Hunter,  J.  D.,  Memoirs  (London,  1824),  p.  420. 
'  This  means,  "It  smells  like  black  birch." 


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were  used  from  time  to  time.'  A  suggestion  of  this  is  found  in 
the  use  by  the  Abenaki  of  the  juice  from  the  bruised  roots  of  the 
cat-tail  and  other  plants.  A  variety  of  names  are  given  for 
sumac:  utgo"da'  (On.  and  Mo.),  na'ju'k  (Ca.),  utgodago'a 
(Ca.),  dji'tgwa  niuha'do'd^  (Ca.),  dara'gwi  (Mo.). 

Monarda,  horse-mint,  or  Oswego  tea,  as  it  is  variously  called, 
Monarda  fistulosa,  represented  the  mint  family,  which  suggests 
that  other  mints  may  also  have  been  pressed  into  service.  Among 
the  more  suitable  for  the  purpose  would  be  the  peppermint, 
spearmint,  pennyroyal,  and  others.  A  Cayuga  name  for  mon- 
arda is  ganu'da'. 

Even  urine  seems  to  have  been  used  in  cases  of  necessity, 
such  as  forced  marches.  Seaver,  for  instance,  notes  that  it  was 
offered  to  captives.  According  to  the  Relations,  it  was  also 
administered  at  times  as  a  medicine. 

It  seems  somewhat  surprising  that  corn  was  not  fermented. 
The  Zunis,  for  instance,  prepare  a  drink  from  sprouted  corn. 
This  is  claimed  to  be  non-intoxicating.  A  drink  is  also  made  of 
pop-corn,  "ground  in  the  finest  mill.  The  powder  is  put  into  a 
bowl  and  cold  water  is  poured  over  it.  The  mixture  is  strained 
before  it  is  drunk.  This  beverage  is  also  used  in  ceremonies  and 
during  fasts  of  the  rain  priests."^  An  Iroquois  food-drink 
resembling  the  latter  was  made  by  parching  corn,  grinding  it  to 
a  flour  in  the  wooden  mortar,  and  mixing  it  with  maple  sugar. 
This  was  uped  as  a  hunting  or  travelling  food.  A  small  wooden 
dish  was  carried  along  and  a. small  quantity  of  the  flour  mixed 
with  cold  water  and  drunk  as  required.  According  to  Thomas 
Key  (On.),  a  small  cup  was  used  for  this  purpose  by  the  hunter. 


'  Slippery  elm  inner  bark  is  often  made  into  a  mucilaginous  decoction, 
considered  to  have  a  food  as  well  as  a  medicinal  value.  This  was  no  doubt 
familiar  to  the  Iroquois. 

'  Stevenson,  M.  C,  The  Zuni  Indians,  23rd  Ann.  Rep.  B.  A.  E.,  p.  369. 

Adair  describes  a  drink  made  of  "their  flinty  corn,"  though  in  this  case, 

after  pounding  and  sifting,  they  boiled  the  meal  in  large  earthen  pots,  then 

strained  off  the  thinnest  part,  and  diluted  it  with  water  for  drinking.     Hist. 

of  the  North  American  Indians,  p.  416. 

In  the  Second  Voyage  of  Sir  John  Hawkins,  1564,  it  is  remarked  of  corn 
meal  that  "it  maketh  also  good  beverage,  sodden  in  water,  and  nourishable." 
Hakluyut,  Voyages,  p.  46. 


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so  that  it  would  not  cover  his  eyes,  and  no  one  else  was  allowed 
to  drink  from  the  same  cup.  A  drink  of  the  mixture  was  taken 
immediately  upon  leaving  home. 

The  fresh  blood  of  slaughtered  animals  was  employed  as  a 
food  or  drink  by  a  number  of  aboriginal  races,  but  does  not 
seem,  aside  from  the  alleged  use  of  the  blood  of  captives  taken 
in  war,i  to  have  been  particularly  favoured  by  the  Iroquois. 

Grease,  both  in  a  solid  and  liquid  condition,  as  well  as 
various  animal  oils,  were  probably  quite  widely  used.  Historical 
references  to  their  consumption  by  the  Iroquois  are  found  in  the 
accounts  of  the  early  missionaries  and  others.^ 

The  ability  of  the  Indians  to  go  without  food  or  drink  for 
long  periods  has  been  frequently  remarked.  Du  Peron  states  of 
the  Hurons  that  "as  for  drinks,  they  do  not  know  what  they  are, 
— the  sagamit6  serving  as  meat  and  drink;  when  not  on  their 
journeys,  they  will  go  six  months  without  drinking."' 

SALT    AS    A    FOOD    MATERIAL. 

Salt  was  evidently  adopted  principally  during  the  later 
historical  period.  Loskiel  describes  the  Iroquois  attitude 
towards  salt  by  stating  that  "neither  the  Iroquois,  Delaware, 
nor  any  in  connexion  with  them,  eat  their  meat  raw,  but  fre- 
quently without  salt,  though  they  have  it  in  abundance."* 
The  fact  that  several  old-time  foods,  such  as  corn  bread,  corn 
and  bean  soup,  etc.,  are  made  without  salt  would  also  indicate 
that  the  usage  is  modern. 

The  existence  of  salt  in  New  York  state  and  in  several 
places  in  western  Ontario  from  Kincardine  to  Sarnia  suggests 
that  a  special  reason  existed  for  its  omission  by  the  Iroquois. 
Historical  references  are  unanimous  in  stating  that  salt  was 
seldom  or  never  used  by  nearly  all  the  eastern  Indians  at  or 


>  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLIV,  p.  55. 

'  Ibid.,  vol.  XLII,  p.  65:  Iroquois  drink  bear's  grease.  Cf.  also  Bartram, 
Observations,  p.  25. 

» Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XV,  p.  163.  Cf.  also  Chau- 
monot,  Autobiographie,  p.  56:  'La  soif  ne  se  fait  jamais  senti,  parceque  nous 
ne  mangeons  rien  de  sale,  et  que  la  nourriture  est  toujours  trfes  liquide." 

*  Loskiel,  Hist,  of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren,  pt.  I,  p.  65. 


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immediately  following  the  discovery.  Cartier  noted  of  the 
Indians  met  by  him  that  "their  entire  living  is  without  a  taste 
of  salt."''  Charlevoix,  Chaumonot,  Carver,  Jogues,  Champlain, 
and  various  writers  in  the  Relations  refer  to  this  apparent  aver- 
sion to  salt,  both  among  the  Iroquois  and  among  the  Algonkin 
tribes  to  the  north  and  east  of  them. 

Hoffman  remarks  that  "Salt  is  not  used  by  the  Menomini 
during  meals,  neither  does  it  appear  to  have  a  place  in  the  kitchen 
for  cooking  or  baking.  Maple  syrup  is  used  instead,  and  it  is 
singular  how  soon  one  may  acquire  the  taste  for  this  substitute 
for  salt,  even  on  meats."''  Lafitau  and  others  comment  on  the 
use  of  maple  syrup  and  sugar  in  cookery.^  The  fact  that  no 
salt  was  used  by  the  Montagnais  is  repeated  again  and  again 
in  the  Relations. 

The  Mandans  were  found  by  Catlin  to  be  non-users  of  salt, 
though  their  country  abounded  in  the  material.*  Other  Siouan 
tribes,  such  as  the  Omaha,  collected  the  mineral  for  use.  The 
Shawnee,  unlike  their  more  northern  relatives,  were  famed 
as  salt-makers. 

A  desire  for  some  saline  material  was  shown  by  certain 
tribes.  The  Cherokee,  an  Iroquoian  tribe  residing  to  the  south- 
west, used  lye,  and  salt  is  even  yet  seldom  employed  by  the  eastern 
division  of  the  tribe.  Beverly  writes  regarding  the  Indians  of 
Virginia,  that  "they  have  no  Salt  among  them,  but  for  seasoning, 
used  the  Ashes  of  Hiccory,  Stickweed,  or  some  other  Wood  or 
Plant,  affording  a  Salt  ash."^  Hariot  also  reports  that  "there  is 
an  hearbe  which  in  Dutch  is  called  Melden.  Some  of  those  that 
I  describe  it  unto,  take  it  to  be  a  kind  of  Orage;  it  groweth  about 
foure  or  five  foote  high:  of  the  seede  thereof  they  make  a  thick 
broth,  and  pottage  of  a  very  good  taste:  of  the  stalks  by  burning 
into  ashes  they  make  a  kind  of  salt  earth,  wherewithall  many  use 
sometimes  to  season  their  brothes;  other  salte  they  knowe  not."' 


1  Cartier,  Bref  RScit,  p.  25. 

2  Hoffman,  W.  J.,  The  Menomini  Indians,  14th  Ann.  Rep.  B.A.E.,  p.  286. 
'  Lafitau,  Moeurs,  vol.  II,  p.  157. 

*  Catlin,  G.,  Letters  and  Notes,  pp.  124,  125. 

'Beverly,  The  History  and  Present  State  of  Virginia,  vol.  Ill,  p.  15. 
°  Hariot,  A  briefe  and  true  report.  Cf.  also  Lawson,  Nat.  Hist,  of  North 
Carolina  (per  Brickell),  p.  401  and  p.  340. 


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The  Hurons,  according  to  the  Relations,  sometimes  "put  in 
pieces  of  cinders,  to  season  the  sagamit^,"'  and  used  "no  salt 
or  other  condiment"  of  this  nature. 

A  possible  explanation  of  the  Iroquois  non-use  of  salt  may 
be,  as  suggested  by  Beauchamp,  that  their  original  habitat  was 
in  some  area  where  salt  was  not  readily  obtained.''  Some  weight 
is  added  to  this  by  the  fact  that  neither  the  Eskimo  nor  the 
northern  Algonkins  favoured  its  use.  The  objections  are  still 
advanced  by  some  of  the  older  men  on  the  various  reservations 
that  physical  deterioration  generally  and  such  ailments  as  decay 
of  the  teeth  and  other  complaints  result  from  eating  salt. 

The  Iroquois,  in  fact,  seem  to  have  retained  this  attitude  as 
late  as  1654.  Marie  de  1' Incarnation,  for  instcuice,  relates  that 
the  Iroquois  supposed  the  water  of  a  certain  salt  spring  to  be 
poison  and  thought  that  it  was  by  a  miracle  that  the  French 
obtained  salt  from  the  water.'  This  is  confirmed  by  an  obser- 
vation of  the  missionary  le  Moine  that  the  Onondagas  dared  not 
drink  of  a  salt  spring  which  he  visited,  holding  that  there  was 
an  evil  spirit  in  it  which  rendered  it  foul.* 

The  gradual  adoption  of  salt  is  noted  by  a  number  of  early 
writers.  Even  the  Montagna,is  began  eventually  to  use  it,  and 
the  decreasing  prejudice  of  the  Iroquois  is  remarked  by  Conrad 
Weiser,  who,  about  the  year  1737,  went  with  his  host  to  see  a 
salt  spring  from  which  the  Indians  boiled  "handsome  salt  for 
use." 

A  later  adaptation  of  the  use  of  salt  is  probably  to  be  found 
in  certain  medicinal  uses.  Loskiel  cites  the  fact  that  "Salt  has 
lately  been  found  (1794)  to  be  a  powerful  antidote  (for  rattle- 


1  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XV,  p.  163. 

^  Sagard-Theodat,  Voyages,  vol.  I,  p.  63,  speaking  of  the  Hurons,  though 
apparently  rather  erroneously  with  regard  to  distance  from  salt  springs, 
states  that  "we  found  ourselves  very  well  while  not  eating  salt,  moreover  we 
were  nearly  three  hundred  leagues  from  any  salt  waters.  And  upon  my  re- 
turn to  Canada  (Quebec)  I  was  ill  from  eating  it  at  first,  after  having  abstained 
from  it  so  long;  which  makes  me  think  that  salt  is  not  necessary  to  the  pre- 
servation of  life  or  health." 

*  Marie  de  I'lncarnation,  Lettres,  t.  II,  p.  64;  quoted  in  Jesuit  Relations 
R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLI,  p.  256. 

*  Jesuit  Relations,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed.,  vol.  XLI,  pp.  123,  125. 


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snake  bite);  and  if  immediately  applied  to  the  wound,  or  dis- 
solved in  water  and  used  as  a  lotion,  no  danger  is  to  be  feared."' 
It  was  also  looked  upon  as  a  counteractant  to  witchcraft,  the 
same  writer  remarking  that  "the  Indians  say  that  their  poison 
and  witchcraft  has  no  effect  upon  white  people,  because  they 
eat  so  much  salt  in  their  victuals.  "^ 

A  salt  remedy,  obtained  among  the  Cayugas  of  Brant 
county,'  was  claimed  to  be  effective  for  "inflammation  of  the 
bowels."  Salt  is  placed  in  the  patient's  hands  and  on  the  feet. 
A  decoction  of  black  cherry  bark  is  administered  internally,  and 
a  poultice  of  the  boiled  bark  applied  to  the  abdomen.  An 
Onondaga  remedy  for  a  burn  or  scald  is  to  apply  wet  salt. 

An  interesting  taboo  or  restriction  with  regard  to  the  use  of 
salt  is  found  everywhere  in  connexion  with  the  ministrations  of 
the  Nega'ne'ga'a'*  or  Little  Water  Company.  The  patient  who 
accepts  their  services  and  partakes  of  the  medicine  must  be  seen 
by  no  one  for  ten  days  but  by  an  attendant,  must  eat  only  bread 
and  cold  water,  and  must  abstain  from  all  kinds  of  meat,  salt, 
soda,  etc.  When  the  person  becomes  better,  a  white  hen,  white 
beans,  rice,  corn  soup,  a  pig's  head  or  other  white-coloured 
article  of  food  must  be  prepared,  after  which  the  restrictions  are 
removed.' 

Young  people  of  both  sexes  at  puberty,  according  to  an 
Oneida  informant,'  were  formerly  made  to  live  in  a  shanty  in 
the  bush,  with  no  fire  and  only  one  blanket.  They  were  obliged 
to  go  in  swimming,  no  matter  how  cold,  and  to  engage  in  exer- 
cises for  warmth.  They  would  stay  there  for  nearly  a  month. 
Boys  were  not  allowed  to  eat  anything  hot  at  the  time  the  voice 
changed,  also  no  salt,  pepper,  or  other  materials  of  the  kind. 
This  was  said  to  make  the  teeth  good. 


'  Loskiel,  Hist,  of  the  Mission  of  the  United  Brethren,  pt.  I,  p.  114. 
"Ibid.i  p.  119. 

'  Mrs.  Peter  Atkins  (Ca.),  informant. 

*  Onondaga  name.     This  taboo  is  briefly  noted  by  Adair,  A  Hist,  of  the 
American  Indians,  p.  125. 
6  Chief  Alex.  Hill. 
'  Anthony  Day. 


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Small  bottles  or  receptacles  for  salt  were  formerly  woven 
from  the  dried  husks  of  corn  and  are  still  sometimes  made  by 
the  older  people.  An  Onondaga  name  given  for  these  is  unuya' 
g4tsi"da'  (Plate  XXXI,  figs,  d,  e). 

Names  for  Salt. 

Onondaga — udjike^'da'. 

Mohawk — deyuhio'djis. 

Oneida — ongda'gel'  (said  to  be  for  ongda'geli'). 

Cayuga — dj  ike'da'. 

Seneca — od  j  i'ke'da' . 


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BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

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biography), Paris,  1885. 

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De  CandoUe,  A.  L.  P.,  Origin  of  Cultivated  Plants,  London,  1909. 

Darwin,  Charles. — ^Varieties  of  plants  and  animals  under  domes- 
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Gilmore,  M.  R. — ^The  aboriginal  geography  of  the  Nebraska 
country.  Proceedings  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Historical 
Society,  Vol.  VI.      ' 

Handbook  of  American  Indians,  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology, 
Washington,    D.C. 

Hariot,  Thomas. — ^A  Briefe  and  true  report  of  the  new  found  land 
of  Virginia,  1585-86,  London,  1900. 

Harrington,  M.  R. — ^Some  Seneca  corn  foods  and  their  prepara- 
tion, American  Anthropologist,  N.  S.,  Vol.  X,  1908. 

Harshberger,  J.  W. — Cyclopedia  of  American  agriculture.  Vol.  II. 

Heckewelder,  Jno.  G.  E. — History,  manners,  and  customs  of 
the  Indian  nations  which  formerly  inhabited  Pennsylvania 
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ceau, Paris,  1822. 

Hennepin,  Louis. — ^A  new  discovery  of  a  vast  country  in  America, 
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Henry,  Alex. — Travels  and  adventures  in  Canada  and  the  In- 
dian territories  between  the  years  1760-1776,  ed.  by  Jas. 
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Hunter,  J.  D. — Memoirs  of  a  captivity  among  the  Indians  of 
North  America,  London,  1824. 

Jarvis,  C.  D. — American  varieties  of  beans,  Cornell  University 
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Jesuit  Relations,  The,  R.  G.  Thwaites  ed. 

Josselyn,  Jno. — ^An  account  of  two  voyages  to  New  England 
made  during  the  years  1638-1663,  Boston,  1865. 

Josselyn,  Jno. — New  England's  rarities  discovered,  London, 
1672. 

Kalm,  Peter. — Travels  into  North  America,  London,   1771. 

Lafitau,  Jos.  Frangois. — Moeurs  des  Sauvages  Ameriquains, 
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Lescarbot,  Marc. — ^The  History  of  New  France,  Paris,  1612. 
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among  the  Indians  in  North  America,  London,  1794,  trans- 
lation by  La  Trobe. 
Mooney,  Jas. — Ghost  dance  religion,  14th  Annual  Report  of  the 

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New  York,  1904. 
Morgan,    L.    H. — Houses    and    house    life    of    the    American 

aborigines,  Washington,  D.  C,  1881. 
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1879. 
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New   York  State   Educational   Department   Bulletin   482 

(Museum  Bulletin  144). 
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Educational  Department  Bulletin  530  (Museum  Bulletin 

163). 
Pinkerton,  John. — ^A  general  collection  of.     .     .    voyages  and 

travels  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  London,  1808-14. 
Russel,   F. — ^The  Pima   Indians,   26th  Annual   Report  of  the 

Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
Sagard-Theodat. — Le  Grand  Voyage  du  Pays  des  Hurons,  Tross 

ed.,  Paris,  1865. 
Schoolcraft,   H.   R. — Information  respecting  the  history,  con- 
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Philadelphia,   1855. 
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printed  for  R.  Parkin,  London,  1826. 
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New  York,  1859. 
Shea,  J.  G.  ed.— Life  of  Jogues  (by  Martin),  New  York,  1885. 
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of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 
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Sturtevant,    E.    L. — History   of   garden   vegetables,   American 

Naturalist,  Vol.  XXIII. 
Van  der  Donck. — New  Netherlands  (1656),  New  York  Historical 

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1827. 
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Popular  Science  Monthly,  May,  1913. 
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Boston,  1865. 


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Plate    I. 


Digging  stick,  made  by  Peter  Joiin,  On.  Actual  length  about  40 
inches,  b.  Corn  washing  basket  of  basswood  inner  bark.  c.  Planting 
basket  with  compartments  for  carrying  seeds  which  are  to  be  planted 
together,  such  as  corn  and  beans.  Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum 
Nos.  Ill  I,  900,  1010,  890,  Collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Grand  River 
reserve,   Ontario.    (Page   15.) 


12 


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o 


o 


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Plate  III. 


A. 


B. 

A.  Onondaga  longhouse,  Grand   River  reserve,   Ontario. 

B.  Lower  Cayuga  longhouse,  Grand  River  reserve. 

The  small  building  at  the  back  in  each  is  the  cook-house,  where  the  food 
is  prepared  for  use  in  ceremonies.  The  cook-house  in  A  was  the  old  long- 
house.     (Page  12.) 


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165 


o 
2: 


—    c 


■3  >. 

o  ^ 


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167 


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£   (^ 


X  a 


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169 


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Plate  IX. 


Corncribof  poles,  farm  of  Jacob  Schuyler,  Oneidatown,  Ontario.   (Page  41.) 


13 


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177 


Plate  X. 


B. 


A.  Winter  caches  or  pits  for  vegetables,  Grand  River  reserve.  (Page  43.) 

B.  Method  of  tapping  trees,  same  locaUty.     (Page  141.) 


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Plate  XI. 


Log  houses  of  this  kind,  made  like  those  of  the  early  settlers,  are  quite  common. 
These  have  practically  no  aboriginal  features.  A  pine  or  other  tree  is 
often  left  for  shade.     Grand  River  reserve.      (Page  49.) 


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Plate  XII. 


Method  of  using  bow  drill  in  fire-making  by  friction.  Division  of  Anthro- 
pology, Museum  No.  Ill  I,  764.  Collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Tona- 
wanda  reserve,  N.Y.     (Page  .50.) 


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ei 


hfi 

c 

!    J 

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'D 

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Plate  XIV. 


a 


r*f&S«* 


Heavy  pack  basket  for  gathering  wood.  Actual  height  of  specimen  about 
one  foot.  b.  Pack  basket  made  from  bark  of  young  hickories,  c. 
Stones  used  in  cracking  corn  or  nuts.  d.  Muller  and  mealing  slab  for 
corn  grinding,  as  used  prehistorically  and  up  to  quite  recent  times.  Divi- 
sion of  Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  Ill  I,  722,  892,  740  a,  b;  VIII  F, 
5087.  a  and  c  collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Caughnawaga,  Quebec; 
b  collected  at  Grand   River  reserve.     (Pages  54,  59,  61.) 


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Plate  XV. 


Mrs.  John  Williams,  Mohawk,  of  Caughnawaga,  using  mealing  stones.  This 
method  is  still  remembered  by  some  of  the  older  people  and  was 
occasionally  used  up  to  a  generation  or  two  ago.  The  bowl  is  made  of 
maple  knot.     (Pages  60,  64,  65.) 


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Plate  XVI. 


Shell   corn   in   preparation   for   hulling  and   grinding,  at  Six  Nations  reserve. 
(Page  80.) 


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Plate  XVII. 


Washing  the  corn  to  remove  the  hulls,  after  it  has  been  boiled  in  wood  ashes 
or  lye,   at   Grand   Ri\-er  reserve.      (Page   80.) 


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195 


Plate  XIX. 


r. 


'y^K.  ~>fl 


Sifting  the  meal  after  it  lias  been  ground  in  the  mortar  at  Grand  River  reserve. 
The  sifter  being  used  is  a  "store"  sieve.     (Page  80.) 


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197 


X 
X 


(A 

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c 

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201 


5      Plate  XXII. 


c,  d.  Corn  washing  baskets,  showing  different  styles  of  handle.  Twilled 
weave,  b.  Flexible  washing  basket  made  of  basswood  inner  bark, 
e.  Pack  basket  for  gathering  corn.  Actual  height  16j  inches.  Division 
of  Anthropology',  Museum  Nos.  flf  I,  206,  719,  891  a,  891  b,  342  a. 
a,  c,  and  d  collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Grand  River  reserve;  b  at 
Caughnawaga;  e  collected  at  Grand  River  reserve,  per  Chief  John 
Gibson.     (Pages  39,  61,  62.) 


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203 


Plate  XXIII. 


"  c 

An  old  form  of  sifting  basket,  made  of  fiickory  splints,  b,  c.  The  or- 
dinary form  of  sifting  basket  or  sieve,  made  of  black  asli  splints.  Actual 
width  about  10  inches.  Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  Ill  I, 
721,  505,  271.  a,  collected  at  Caughnawaga  by  F.  W.  Waugh;  b,  col- 
lected at  Seneca  reserve,  Oklahoma,  by  C.  M.  Barbeau;  c,  collected  at 
Grand  River  reserve,  by  F.  W.  Waugh.     (Pages  63,  64.) 


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207 


Plate   XXV. 


Bowls  for  bread-making  and  other  household  purposes,  a  is  of  beech,  b  and 
d  of  basswood,  and  c  of  maple.  Obtained  from  Grand  River  reserve. 
Actual  length  of  large  bowl  (d)  about  2  feet,  4  inches.  Di\ision  of 
Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  Ill  I,  96,  621,  339,  338.  a,  collected  by 
E.  Sapir;  b,  by  F.  W.  Waugh;  c  and  d  per  Chief  John  Gibson.  (Page 
66.) 


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211 


Plate  XXVII. 


"^ 


txo 


■<i 


Iroquois  spoons  and  ladles.  Length  of  a,  about  SJ  inches.  Division  of 
Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  Ill  I,  736,  273,  735,  359  a,  354,  360, 
757,  796.  a,  c,  collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Caughnawaga;  b,  d,  e, 
f,  per  John  Gibson,  Grand  River  reserve;  g,  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at 
Tonawanda,  N.Y.;  h,  by  F  W.  Waugh  at  Oneidatown,  Ontario. 
(Page  67.) 


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Plate   XXVIII. 


t3 


6« 


Iroquois  spoons  and  ladles.  Length  of  a,  about  8  inches.  Division  of 
Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  Ill  I,  274,  428,  786,  429,  16,  610,  17,  613. 
a,  collected  per  Chief  J.  Gibson;  b,  d,  by  A.  A.  Goldenweiser  at  Grand 
River  reserve;  c,  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Onondaga  Castle,  N.Y. ;  e,  by 
M.  R.  Harrington  at  Grand  River  reserve;  f,  h,  by  F.  W.  Waugh 
at  Grand  River  reserve;  g,  by  M.  R.  Harrington  at  Cattaraugus, 
N.Y.     (Page  67.) 


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215 


Plate  XXIX. 


Bread  and  stirring  paddles.  Length  of  a,  22|  inches.  Division  of  Anthro- 
pology, Museum  Nos.  Ill  I,  756,  785,  49,  223,  18,  359  b.  a,  b,  collected 
by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Tonawanda  and  Onondaga  Castle  respectively; 
c,  by  E.  Sapir  at  Grand  River  reserve;  d,  by  C.  M.  Barbeau  at  Seneca 
reserve,  Oklahoma;  e,  by  M.  R.  Harrington  at  Oneida  reserve;  f,  per 
Chief  J.  Gibson,  Grand   River  reserve.     (Page  70.) 


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217 


Plate   XXX. 


Bread  paddles.  Length  of  a,  30  inches.  Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum 
Nos.  Ill  I,  287,  899,  424,  898,  353,  352.  a,  b,  d,  collected  by  F.  W. 
Waugh  at  Grand  River  reserve;  c,  by  C.  M.  Barbeau  at  Seneca  re- 
serve, Oklahoma;  e,  f,  per  Chief  J.  Gibson,  Grand  River  reserve. 
(Page  70.) 


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219 


Plate  XXXI. 


Knife  of  elm  bark,  used  for  skinning  and  other  purposes.  Actual  length 
about  9  inches,  b.  Knife  made  from  scale  of  hickory  bark.  c.  Knife- 
like implement  of  flint,  d.  Corn-husk  basket  of  a  type  frequently 
used  for  holding  salt  for  table  use.  e.  Corn-husk  bottle  for  salt.  Actual 
height,  3j  inches.  Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  Ill  I, 
1012,  1011,  1028,  79  b,  80.  a,  b,  collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Grand 
River;  c,  collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Onondaga  Castle,  N.Y.;  d,  e, 
by  E.  Sapir  at  Grand  River.     (Pages  71,  154.) 


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Some  Iroquois  corn  varieties.  Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum  Nos. 
(beginning  at  upper  left-hand  corner)  III  I,  623,  294,  265,  627,  624, 
296,  295;  III  H,  138  a;  III  I,  622,  292  b,  298  a,  298  b,  835,  835  a,  835  b. 
a  1-7  and  b  1-4  collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Grand  River  reserve;  b  5-7, 
at  Oneidatown,  Ontario;  a  8  is  a  variegated  dent  corn  collected  by  C.  M. 
Barbeau  at  Wyandotte,  Oklahoma.  It  is  also  cultivated  by  the  Iro- 
quois.     (Pages    75,  76.) 


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223 


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Plate  XXXIY. 


9      #      # 


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Iroquois  bean  varieties:  e  6,  Purple  Flageolet;  f  1,  Yellow  Eye;  f  2,  Golden  Wax, 
probably  a  hybrid  of.  Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  (beginning 
at  upper  left-hand  corner)  1111,318,  972,  312,  306,  317,  299,969,  971,  958, 
977,  978,  942,  967,  964,  316,  965,  941,  950,  940,  949,  968,  960,  943,  303, 
944,  545,  955,  946,  956,  301,  945,  315,  961,  937,  966,  314.  e  2,  collected 
by  C.  M.  Barbeau  at  Seneca  reserve,  Oklahoma.  The  remainder  collected 
by  F.  W.  Waiigh,  a  1-6,  b  1-3,  c  2,  c  3,  d  2,  d  6,  e  1,  e  3,  e  4,  c  6,  f  2, 
f  4-6  at  Grand  River  reserve;  b  4-6,  c  1,  c  4-6,  d  1,  d  3,  d  4,  e  5,  f  1,  f  3 
at  Oneida  town,  Ontario;  d  5,  at  Tonawanda,  N.Y.  (Pages  103,  105, 
106,  107.) 

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227 


Plate  XXXV. 


a,    b.      Baskets   for   drying   berries   or   green   corn,     c,    d,   e.     Berry-picking 
baskets  for  attaching  to  the  belt.     f.     Pack  basket  for  carrying  berries 
Division  of  Anthropology,  Museum  Nos.  Ill  I,  751,  632,  487,  749,  748 
893.     a,  e,  d,  collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Tonawanda,   N.Y.;    b,' 
collected  by  F.  W.  Waugh  at  Grand  River  reserve;   c,  collected  by  C.  M 
Barbeau  at  Seneca  reserve,  Oklahoma.     (Pages  96,  126.) 


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22C 
Plate  XXXVI. 

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VIethod  of  carrying  game  or  provisions  on  pack  frame 
Cayuga,   Grand   River  reserve.     (Page   131.) 

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.     Cliief  David  Jack, 

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231 


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PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY. 

The  Geological  Survey  was  established  in  1842  and  "Reports 
of  Progress"  were  issued,  generally  in  annual  volumes,  from  that 
date  to  1885,  the  first  report  being  that  for  the  year  1843  pub- 
lished in  1845.  Beginning  with  the  year  1885,  "Annual  Reports" 
(new  series)  were  published  in  volumes  until  1905,  the  last  being 
Vol.  XVI,  1904.  Many  of  the  individual  reports  and  maps  pub- 
lished before  1905  were  issued  separately  and  from  1905  to  the 
present,  all  have  been  published  as  separates  and  no  annual 
volume  has  been  issued.  Since  1910,  the  reports  have  been  issued 
as  Memoirs  and  Museum  Bulletins,  each  subdivided  into  series, 
thus: — 

Memoir  41,  Geological  Series  38. 

Memoir  54,  Biological  Series  Z. 

Museum  Bulletin  5,  Geological  Series  21. 

Museum  Bulletin  6,  Anthropological  Series  3. 

In  addition  to  the  publications  specified  above,  a  Summary 
Report  is  issued  annually;  and  miscellaneous  publications  of 
various  kinds  including  Reports  of  Explorations,  Guide  Books, 
etc.,  have  been  issued  from  time  to  time. 


17 


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Publications  Issued  1910-1915  Inclusive. 

MEMOIRS. 

Memoir     1.  Geological  Series  1.    Geology  of  the  Nipigon   basin,   Ontario, 

1910— by  Alfred  W.  G.  Wilson. 
Memoir    2.  Geological  Series  2.    Geology  and  ore  deposits  of  Hedley  mining 

district,  British  Columbia,  1910 — by  Charles  Camsell. 
Memoir    3.  Geological  Series  3.     Palseoniscid  iishes  from  the  Albert  shales 

of  New  Brunswick,  1910 — by  Lawrence  M.  Lambe. 
Memoir    4.  Geological  Series  7.    Geological  reconnaissance  along  the  line  of 

the  National  Transcontinental  railway  in  western  Quebec, 

1911— by  W.  J.  Wilson. 
Memoir    5.  Geological  Series  4.     Preliminary  memoir  on  the  Lewes  and 

Nordenskiold  Rivers  coal  district,  Yukon  Territory,  1910 — 

by  D.  D.  Cairnes. 
Memoir    6.  Geological  Series  5.    Geology  of  the  Haliburton  and  Bancroft 

areas.  Province  of  Ontario,  1910 — by  Frank  D.  Adams  and 

Alfred  E.  Barlow. 
Memoir    7.  Geological  Series  6.    Geology  of  St.  Bruno  mountain.  Province 

of  Quebec,  1910 — by  John  A.  Dresser. 
Memoir    8.  Geological  Series  8.    The  Edmonton  coal  field.  Alberta,  1911 — 

by  D.  B.  Dowling. 
Memoir    9.  Geological   Series  9.    Bighorn   coal   basin.   Alberta,    1911 — by 

G.  S.  Malloch. 
Memoir  10.     Geological  Series  10.    An  instrumental  survey  of  the  shore- 
lines of  the  extinct  lakes  Algonquin  and  Nipissing  in  south- 
western Ontario,  1911 — ^by  J.  W.  Goldthwait. 
Memoir  U.     Topographical   Series    1.    Triangulation    and    spirit    levelling 

of  Vancouver  island,   B.C.,   1909,   issued   1910— by  R.   H. 

Chapman. 
Memoir  12.     Geological  Series  11.     Insects  from  the  Tertiary  lake  deposits 

of  the  southern  interior  of  British  Columbia,  collected  by 

Mr.  Lawrence  M.  Lambe,  in  1906,  issued  1911 — by  Anton 

Handlirsch. 
Memoir  13.     Geological  Series  14.    Southern  Vancouver  island,   1912 — by 

Charles  H.  Clapp. 
Memoir  14.     Biological  Series  1.     New  species  of  shells  collected  by  Mr. 

John  Macoun  at  Barkley  sound,  Vancouver  island,  British 

Columbia,  1911— by  William  H.  Dall  and  Paul  Bartsch. 
Memoir  IS.     Geological  Series  12.     On  a  Trenton    Echinoderm  fauna  at 

Kirkfield,  Ontario,  1911 — by  Frank  Springer. 
Memoir  16.    Geological  Series  13.    The  clay  and  shale  deposits  of  Nova 

Scotia  and  portions  of  New  Brunswick,  1911 — by  Heinrich 

Ries  assisted  by  Joseph  Keele. 
Memoir  17.    Geological  Series  28.     Geology  and  economic  resources  of  the 

Larder  Lake  district,  Ont.,  and  adjoining  portions  of  Pontiac 

county.  Que.,  1913— by  Morley  E.  Wilson. 
Memoir  18.    Geological  Series  19.     Bathurst  district.  New  Brunswick,  1913 — 

by  G.  A.  Young. 
Memoir  19.    Geological  Series  26.    Geology  of  Mother  Lode  and  Sunset 

mines.  Boundary  district,  B.C.,  1914 — by  O.  E.  LeRoy. 
Memoir  20.    Geological  Series  41.    Gold  fields  of  Nova  Scotia,  1914 — by  W. 

Malcolm. 


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Memoir  21. 
Memoir  22. 
Memoir  23. 

Memoir  24. 

Memoir  25. 

Memoir  26. 
Memoir  27. 

Memoir  28. 

Memoir  29. 
Memoir  30. 
Memoir  31. 
Memoir  32. 

Memoir  33. 
Memoir  34. 
Memoir  35. 

Memoir  36. 
Memoir  37. 
Memoir  38. 

Memoir  39. 
Memoir  40. 
Memoir  41. 
Memoir  42. 
Memoir  43. 
Memoir  44. 
Memoir  45. 


Geological  Series  15.    The  geology  and  ore  deposits  of  Phoenix 

Boundary  district,  British  Columbia,  1912— by  O.  E.  LeRoy 
Geological  Series  27.     Preliminary  report  on  the  serpentines  and 

associated  rocks,  in  southern  Quebec,  1914— by  J.  A.  Dresser. 
Geological  Series  23.     Geology  of  the  coast  and  islands  between 

the  Strait  of  Georgia  and  Queen  Charlotte  sound,    B.C.. 

1914^by  J.  Austen  Bancroft. 
Geological  Series  16.     Preliminary  report  on  the  clay  and  shale. 

deposits  of  the  western  provinces,  1912 — by  Heinrich   Ries 

and  Joseph  Keele. 
Geological  Series  21.     Report  on  the  clay  and.  shale  deposits 

of  the  western  provinces,  Part  II,  1914 — by  Heinrich  Ries 

and  Joseph  Keele. 
Geological  Series  34.    Geology  and   mineral  deposits  of  the 

Tulameen  district,  B.C.,  1913— by  C.  Camsell. 
Geological  Series  17.     Report  of  the   Commission  appointed 

to  investigate  Turtle  mountain,  Frank,  Alberta,  1911,  issued 

1912. 
Geological  Series  18.    .The  Geology  of  Steeprock  lake,  Ontario — 

by  Andrew  C.  Lawson.     Notes  on  fossils  from  limestone  of 

Steeprock  lake,  Ontario,  1912 — by  Charles  D.  Walcott. 
Geological  Series  32.     Oil  and  gas  prospects  of  the  northwest 

provinces  of  Canada,  1913 — by  W.  Malcolm. 
Geological   Series  40.    The   basins   of   Nelson   and   Churchill 

rivers,  1914 — by  William  Mclnnes. 
Geological    Series    20.    Wheaton    district,    Yukon    Territory, 

1913— by  D.  D.  Cairnes. 
Geological  Series  25.     Portions  of  Portland  Canal  and  Skeena 

Mining  divisions,   Skeena   district,    B.C.,    1914 — ^by   R.   G. 

McConnell. 
Geological    Series    30.     The    geology    of    Gowganda    Mining 

Division,  1913— by  W.  H.  Collins. 
Geological  Series  63.    The  Devonian  of  southwestern  Ontario, 

1915- by  C.  R.  Stauffer. 
Geological    Series    29.     Reconnaissance    along    the    National 

Transcontinental  railway  in  southern  Quebec,   1913 — John 

A.  Dresser. 
Geological  Series  33.    Geology  of  the  Victoria  and  Saanich 

map-areas,  Vancouver  island,  B.C.,  1914 — by  C.  H.  Clapp. 
Geological  Series  22.     Portions  of  Atlin  district,  B.C.,  1913 — 

by  D.  D.  Cairnes. 
Geological  Series  31.    Geology  of  the  North  American  Cor- 
dillera at  the  forty-ninth  parallel,  Parts  I  and  II,  1913 — by 

Reginald  Aldworth  Daly. 
Geological    Series    35.     Kewagama    Lake    map-area,    Quebec, 

1914— by  M.  E.  Wilson. 
Geological  Series  24.    The  Archaean  geology  of  Rainy  lake, 

1914 — by  Andrew  C.  Lawson. 
Geological  Series  38.    The  "Fern  Ledges"  Carboniferous  flora 

of  St.  John,  New  Brunswick,  1914 — by  Marie  C.  Stopes. 
Anthropological  Series  1.     The  double-curve  motive  in  north- 
eastern Algonkian  art,  1914 — by  Frank  G.  Speck. 
Geological  Series  36.     St.    Hilaire    (Beloeil)    and   Rougemont 

mountains,  Quebec,  1914 — by  J.  J.  O'Neill. 
Geological  Series  37.     Clay  and  shale  deposits  of  New  Bruns- 
wick, 1914^  by  J.  Keele. 
Anthropological  Series  3.    The  inviting-in  feast  of  the  Alaska 
Eskimo,  1914— by  E.  W.  Hawkes. 


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Memoir  46.    Anthropological  Series  7.    Classification  of  Iroquoian  radicals 

and  subjective  pronominal  prefixes,  1915 — by  C.  M.  Barbeau. 
Memoir  47.     Geological  Series  39.     Clay  and  shale  deposits  of  the  western 

provinces,  Part  III,  1914 — by  Heinrich  Ries. 
Memoir  48.    Anthropological  Series  2.    Some  myths  and  tales  of  the  Ojibwa 

of  southeastern  Ontario,  1914 — by  Paul  Radin. 
Memoir  49.    Anthropological   Series  4.     Malecite  tales,    1914 — by   W.    H. 

Mechling. 
Memoir  50.     Geological  Series  51.    Upper   White   River   district,    Yukon, 

1915— by  D.  D.  Cairnes. 
Memoir  51.     Geological  Series  43.    Geology  of  the  Nanaimo  map-area,  1914 — 

by  C.  H.  Clapp. 
Memoir  52.     Geological  Series   42.    Geological   notes   to   accompany   map 

of  Sheep  River  gas  and  oil  field.  Alberta,  1914 — by  D.  B. 

Dowling. 
Memoir  53.     Geological  Series  44.     Coal  fields  of  Manitoba,  Saskatchewan, 

Alberta,   and   eastern    British   Columbia    (revised   edition), 

1914— by  D.  B.  Dowling. 
Memoir  54.     Biological  Series  2.     Annotated  list  of  flowering  plants  and 

ferns  of  Point  Pelee,  Ont.,  and  neighbouring  districts, 1914 — 

by  C.  K.  Dodge. 
Memoir  55.     Geological  Series  46.    Geology  of  Field  map-area.  Alberta  and 

British  Columbia,  1914 — by  John  A.  Allan. 
Memoir  56.     Geological  Series  56.    Geology  of  Franklin  mining  camp,  B.C., 

1915— by  Chas.  W.  Drysdale. 
Memoir  57.     Geological  Series  50.    Corundum,  its  occurrence,  distribution, 

exploitation,  and  uses,  1915 — by  A.  E.  Barlow. 
Memoir  58.     Geological  Series  48.    Texada  island,  1915 — by  R.  G.  McCon- 

nell. 
Memoir  59.     Geological  Series  55.     Coal  fields  and  coal  resources  of  Canada, 

191S— by  D.  B.  Dowling. 
Memoir  60.     Geological    Series    47.    Arisaig-Antigonish    district,    1915 — by 

M.  Y.  Williams. 
Memoir  61.     Geological    Series    45.    Moose    Mountain    district,    southern 

Alberta  (second  edition)  1914 — by  D.  D.  Cairnes. 
Memoir  62.    Anthropological  Series  5.    Abnormal  types  of  speech  in  Nootka, 

1915— by  E.  Sapir. 
Memoir  63.    Anthropological  Series  6.     Noun  reduplication  in   Comox,   a 

Salish  language   of   Vancouver  island,   1915 — by  E.  Sapir. 
Memoir  64.     Geological  Series  52.     Preliminary  report  on  the  clay  and  shale 

deposits  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  1915 — by  J.  Keele. 
Memoir  65.     Geological  Series  53.     Clay  and  shale  deposits  of  the  western 

provinces,  Part  IV,  1915 — by  H.  Ries. 
Memoir  66.    Geological  Series  54.     Clay  and  shale  deposits  of  the  western 

provinces,  Part  V,  1915 — by  J.  Keele. 
Memoir  67.    Geological  Series  49.    The  Yukon-Alaska  Boundary  between 

Porcupine  and  Yukon  rivers,  1915- — by  D.  D.  Cairnes. 
Memoir  68.     Geological    Series   59.    A    geological    reconnaissance    between 

Golden  and  Kamloops,  B.C.,  along  the  line  of  the  Canadian 

Pacific  railway,  1915 — by  R.  A.  Daly. 
Memoir  69.     Geological  Series  57.     Coal  fields  of  British  Columbia,  1915 — 

D.  B.  Dowling. 
Memoir  70.    Anthropological  Series  8.    Family  hunting  territories  and  social 

life  of  the  various  Algonkian  bands  of  the  Ottawa  valley, 

1915— by  F.  G-  Speck. 
Memoir  71.    Anthropological  Series  9.     Myths  and  folk-lore  of  the  Timis- 

kaming  Algonquin  and  Timagami  Ojibwa,  1915 — by  F.  G. 

Speck. 


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Memoir  72.    Geological  Series  60.    The  artesian  wells  of  Montreal,  191S— 

by  C.  L.  Cumming. 
Memoir  73.    Geological  Series  58.    The  Pleistocene  and  Recent  deposits  of 

the  Island  of  Montreal,  1915— by  J.  Stansfield. 
Memoir  74.    Geological  Series  61.    A  list  of  Canadian  mineral  occurrences, 

19  IS— by  R.  A.  A.  Johnston. 
Memoir  75.    Anthropological  Series  10.    Decorative  art  of  Indian  tribes  of 

Connecticut,  1915 — by  Frank  G.  Speck. 
Memoir  76.    Geological  Series  62.    Geology  of  the  Cranbrook  map-area, 

1915^by  S.  J.  Schofield. 
Memoir  77.     Geological  Series  64.    Geology  and  ore  deposits  of  Rossland, 

B.C.,  1915— by  C.  W.  Drysdale. 
Memoir  78.    Geological  Series  66.    Wabana  iron  ore  of  Newfoundland,  1915 — 

by  A.  O.  Hayes. 
Memoir  79.     Geological  Series  65.    Ore  deposits  of  the  Beaverdell  map-area, 

1915 — by  L.  Reinecke. 
Memoir  80.     Anthropological  Series  11.     Huron  and  Wyandot  mythology, 

1915— by  C.  M.  Barbeau. 
Memoir  81,     Geological  Series  67.    Oil  and  gas  fields  of  Ontario  and  Quebec, 

1915 — by  Wyatt  Malcolm. 
Memoir  82.     Geological  Series  68.     Rainy  River  district,  Ontario.     Surficial 

geology  and  soils,  1915 — by  W.  A.  Johnston. 

MUSEUM  BULLETINS. 

The  Museum  Bulletins,  published  by  the  Geological  Survey,  are  num- 
bered consecutively  and  are  given  a  series  number  in  addition,  thus:  Geological 
Series  No.  1,  2,  3,  etc.;  Biological  Series  No.  1,  2,  3,  etc.;  Anthropological 
Series  No.  1,  2,  3,  etc. 

In  the  case  of  Bulletins  1  and  2,  which  contain  articles  on  various  subjects, 
each  article  has  been  assigned  a  separate  series  number. 

The  first  Bulletin  was  entitled  Victoria  Memorial  Museum  Bulletin; 
subsequent  issues  have  been  called  Museum  Bulletins. 

Mus.  Bull.  1.  Geological   Series   1.    The   Trenton    crinoid,    Ottawacrinus, 
(Issued  1913).  W.  R.  Billings— by  F.  A.  Bather. 

Geological  Series  2.     Note  on  Merocrinus,  Walcott — by  F.  A. 

Bather. 
Geological  Series  3.    The  occurrence  of  Helodont  teeth  at 

Roche  Miette  and  vicinity.  Alberta — b}^  L.  M.  Lambe. 
Geological   Series   4.     Notes   on   Cyclocystoides — by    P.    E, 

Raymond. 
Geological  Series  5.     Notes  on  some  new  and  old  Trilobites  in 

the  Victoria  Memorial  Museum — by  P.   E.   Raymond. 
Geological  Series  6.     Description  of  some  new  Asaphidae — by 

■     P.  E.  Raymond. 
Geological  Series  7.    Two  new  species  of  Tetradium — by  P.  E. 

Raymond. 
Geological  Series  8.     Revision  of  the  species  which  have  been 

referred  to  the  genus  Bathyurus  (preliminary  report) — 

by  P.  E.  Raymond. 
Geological  Series  9.    A  new  Brachiopod  from  the  base  of  the 

Utica — ^by  A.  E.  Wilson. 
Geological  Series  10.    A  new  genus  of  dicotyledonous  plant 

from  the  Tertiary  of  Kettle  river,  British  Columbia — 

by  W.  J.  Wilson. 
Geological  Series  11.    A  new  species  of  Lepidostrobus — by 

W.  J.  Wilson. 


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VI 

Geological  Series  12.     Prehnite  from  Adams  sound,  Admiralty 

inlet,  Baffin  island,  Franklin — by  R.  A.  A.  Johnston. 
Biological  Series.  1.    The  marine  algae  of  Vancouver  island — 

by  F.  S.  Collins. 
Biological  Series  2.     New  species  of  moUusks  from  the  Atlantic 
and  Pacific  coasts  Of  Canada — by  W.  H.  Dall  and  P. 
Bartsch. 
Biological  Series  3.    Hydroids  from  Vancouver  island  and 

Nova  Scotia — by  C.  McLean  Fraser. 
Anthropological  Series  1.    The  archaeology  of  Blandford  town- 
ship, Oxford  county,  Ontario — by  W.  J.  Wintemberg. 

Mu3.  Bull.  2.  Geological  Series  13.    The  origin  of  granite  (micropegmatite) 

(Issued  1914).  in  the  Purcell  sills— by  S.  J.  Schofield.  _ 

Geological  Series  14.     Columnar  structure  in  limestone — by 

E.  M.  Kindle. 
Geological  Series  15.    Supposed  evidences  of  subsidence  of  the 
coast  of  New  Brunswick  within  modern  time — by  J.  W. 
Goldthwait. 
Geological  Series  16.    The  Pre-Cambrian  (Beltian)  rocks  of 
southeastern  British  Columbia  and  their  correlation  by 
S.  J.  Schofield. 
Geological  Series  17.     Early  Cambrian  stratigraphy  in  the 
North  American  Cordillera,  with  discussion  of  Albertella 
and  related  faunas — by  L.  D.  Burling. 
Geological  Series  18.    A  preliminary  study  of  the  variations 
of  the  plications  of  Parastrophia  hemiplicata.   Hall — 
by  A.  E.  Wilson. 
Anthropological  Series  2.    Some  aspects  of  puberty  fasting 
among  the  Ojibwa — by  Paul  Radin. 

Mus.  Bull.  3.  Geological  Series  19.  The  Anticosti  Island  faunks,  1914 — ^by 
W.  H.  Twenhofel. 

Mus.  Bull.  4.  Geological  Series  20.  The  Crowsnest  volcanics,  1914 — by  J.  D 
MacKenzie. 

Mus.  Bull.  5.  Geological  Series  21.  A  Beatricea-like  organism  from  the 
middle  Ordovician,  1914 — by  P.  E.  Raymond. 

Mus.  Bull.  6.  Anthropological  Series  3.  Prehistoric  and  present  commerce 
among  the  Arctic  Coast  Eskimo,  1915 — by  V.  Stefansson. 

Mus.  Bull.  7.  Biological  Series  4.  A  new  species  of  Dendragapus  (Dendra- 
gapus  Obscucus  Flemingi)  from  southern  Yukon  Terri- 
tory, 1914 — by  P.  A.  Taverner. 

Mus.  Bull.  8.  Geological  Series  22.  The  Huronian  formations  of  Timiskaming 
region,  Canada,  1914 — by  W.  H.  Collins. 

Mus.  Bull.  9.  Anthropological  Series  4.  The  Glenoid  Fossa  in  the  skull  of 
the  Eskimo,  1915 — by  F.  H.  S.  Knowles. 

Mus.  Bull.  10.  Anthropological  Series  5.  The  social  organization  of  the 
Winnebago  Indians,  an  interpretation,  1915 — by  P. 
Radin. 

Mus.  Bull.  11.  Geological  Series  23.  Physiography  of  the  Beaverdell  map- 
area  and  the  southern  part  of  the  Interior  plateaus  of 
British  Columbia,  1915 — by  L.  Reinecke. 

Mus.  Bull.  12.  Geological  Series  24.  On  Eoceratops  Canadensis,  gen.  nov., 
with  remarks  on  other  genera  of  Cretaceous  horned  dino- 
saurs, 1915 — by  L.  M.  Lambe. 

Mus.  Bull.  13.  Biological  Series  5.  The  double-crested  Cormorant  (Phala- 
crocorax  Auritus)  and  its  relation  to  the  salmon  industries 
on  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  1915 — by  P.  A.  Taverner. 

Mus.  Bull.  14.  Geological  Series  25.  The  occurrence  of  glacial  drift  on  the 
Magdalen  islands,  1915 — by  J.  W.  Goldthwait. 


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Mus.  Bull.  IS.  Geological  Series  26.    Gay  Gulch  and  Skookum  meteorites 

1915— by  R.  A.  A.  Johnston. 
Mus.  Bull.  16.  Anthropological  Series  6.    Literary  aspects  of  North  American 

mythology,  1915 — by,  P.  Radin. 
Mus.  Bull.  17.  Geological  Series  27.    The  Ordovician  rocks  of  Lake  Timis- 

kaming,  1915— by  M.  Y.  Williams. 
Mus.  BtJLL.  18.  Geological  Series  28.    Structural  relations  of  the  Pre-Cam- 

brian  and  Palaeozoic  rocks  north  of  the  Ottawa  and  St. 

Lawrence  valleys,  1915 — ^by  E.  M.  Kindle  and  L.  D. 

Burling. 
Mus.  Bull.  19.  Anthropological  Series  7.    A  sketch  of  the  social  organization 

of  the  Nass  River  Indians,  1915 — by  E.  Sapir. 
Mus.  Bull.  20.  Geological  Series  29.    An  Eurypterid  horizon  in  the  Niagara 

formation  of  Ontario,  1915 — by  M.  Y.  Williams. 
Mus.  Bull.  21.  Geological  Series  30.    Notes  on  the  geology  and  palseon- 

tology  of  the  lower  Saskatchewan  River  valley,  1915 — 

by  E.  M.  Kindle. 

UNCLASSIFIED. 

Report  on  a  geological  reconnaissance  of  the  region  traversed  by  the 
National  Transcontinental  railway  between  Lake  Nipigon  and  Clay  lake, 
Ont.,  1910— by  W.  H.  Collins. 

Report  on  the  geological  position  and  characteristics  of  the  oil-shale 
deposits  of  Canada,  1910— by  R.  W.  Ells. 

A  reconnaissance  across  the  Mackenzie  mountains  on  the  Pelly,  Ross, 
and  Gravel  rivers,  Yukon  and  North  West  Territories,  1910 — by  Joseph  Keele. 

Summary  Report  for  the  calendar  year  1909,  issued  1910. 

Report  on  a  traverse  through  the  southern  part  of  the  North  West  Terri- 
tories, from  Lac  Seul  to  Cat  Take,  in  1902,  issued  1911— by  Alfred  W.  G. 
Wilson. 

Report  on  a  part  of  the  North  West  Territories  drained  by  the  Winisk 
and  Upper  Attawapiskat  rivers,  1911 — by  W.McInnes. 

Report  on  the  geology  of  an  area  adjoining  the  east  side  of  Lake  Timii- 
kaming,  1911 — by  Morley  E.  Wilson. 

Summary  Report  for  the  calendar  year  1910,  issued  1911. 

Summary  Report  for  the  calendar  year  1911,  issued  1912. 

Guide  Book  No.  1.  Excursions  in  eastern  Quebec  and  the  Maritime 
Provinces,  parts  1  and  2,  1913. 

Guide  Book  No.  2.  Excursions  in  the  Eastern  Townships  of  Quebec  and 
the  eastern  part  of  Ontario,  1913. 

Guide  Book  No.  3.  Excursions  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Montreal  and 
Ottawa,  1913. 

Guide  Book  No.  4.     Excursions  in  southwestern  Ontario,  1913. 

Guide  Book  No.  S.  Excursions  in  the  western  peninsula  of  Ontario  and 
Manitoulin  island,  1913. 

Guide  Book  No.  8.  Toronto  to  Victoria  and  return  via  Canadian  Pacific 
and  Canadian  Northern  railways;  parts  1,  2,  and  3,  1913. 

Guide  Book  No.  9.  Toronto  to  Victoria  and  return  via  Canadian  Pacific, 
Grand  Trunk  Pacific,  and  National  Transcontinental  railways,  1913. 

Guide  Book  No.  10.  Excursions  in  northern  British  Columbia  and 
Yukon  Territory  and  along  the  north  Pacific  coast,  1913. 

Summary  Report  for  the  calendar  year  1912,  issued  1914. 

Prospector's  Handbook  No.  1.  Notes  on  radium-bearing  minerals, 
1914 — by  Wyatt  Malcolm.  . 

The  archaeological  collection  from  the  southern  interior  of  British  Colum* 
bia,  1914— by  Harlan  I.  Smith. 

Summary  Report  for  the  calendar  year  1913,  issued  1915. 

Summary  Report  for  the  calendar  year  1914,  issued  1915. 


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